A Final Attempt at Keeping His Promise
by Llama Queen Katie
Summary: Gaara has been targeted by the Akatsuki yet again! This time he sends for help from Konoha BEFORE he actually gets taken away. What will Naruto and Sakura do when they see it's Sasuke and his team trying to take Gaara away? SasuNaru eventually, no lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first SasuNaru fic (and also my first mostly serious Naruto fic) so I apologize if it sucks. All the Japanese I know comes from watching subbed episodes of Naruto and from reading other peoples' Naruto fics, so while there will be some suffix things after names, as well as random Japanese words I know that I know the meanings of, don't expect very many. XD Okay, here goes!**

**A Final Attempt at Keeping His Promise**

**Summary: Takes place somewhere between the end of Pein's attack on Konoha and the beginning of the meeting of the Kages, but Tsunade is perfectly fine. Gaara has been targeted by the Akatsuki yet again! This time, he sends for help from Konoha before he actually gets taken away. Naruto and Sakura, of course, are two of the shinobi who go on the mission. What will they do when they see that it's Sasuke and his team trying to take Gaara away?**

**Chapter 1**

Gaara sat in his office, looking over all his paperwork. He stifled a yawn; there were times he questioned the benefits of being Kazekage. The door to his office burst open, and Gaara looked up to see one of his guards standing there.

"Forgive me, Kazekage-sama," the man said breathlessly, "but we've received some disturbing news from one of our returning shinobi."

"Go on," Gaara said.

"She said she saw four people headed towards the village, all wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly. "How far away?"

"Not very far, though she said that at the pace they were going, it could be a while still."

Gaara nodded. "Send word to Konoha. If there are four of them, it would be best to get whatever help we can right away."

"Yes, sir, right away!" The man rushed out, forgetting to close the door in his haste, and Gaara got up, deciding to search for his siblings in order to let them know of the coming threat.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm tired," Suigetsu complained, dragging his feet. "Can't we stop for a bit?" He immediately received a smack to the back of his head.

"Idiot!" Karin yelled as Suigetsu glared at her, rubbing the back of his head. "Sasuke-kun said he wants to get there as soon as possible!" Though she wouldn't admit it, Karin was starting to get a little tired as well.

"Perhaps we could stop, for just a little while?" Juugo half suggested and half asked of Sasuke. All members of Team Hawk stared at their leader's back in anticipation. Sasuke stopped.

"Fine," he said, not looking at any of them, "but make it quick. I'm sure someone's spotted us by now."

Suigetsu plopped himself down on the sand as soon as Sasuke said the word "fine." "But how would they know what we're planning to do?" he asked now.

Sasuke sat on a convenient boulder, facing his teammates with his usual indifferent expression. "It's Madara's plan, not ours."

"Whatever," Suigetsu said flippantly. "It's us carrying it out, not him."

The Uchiha was silent for a long moment; so long that Suigetsu almost asked his question again, sure that Sasuke had forgotten it.

"Whatever our intentions," the raven haired man said finally, "our cloaks clearly mark us as Akatsuki, and Suna is sure to be on alert if any of them see any of us anywhere near their village."

Nobody said anything to that, and after another fairly brief moment, Sasuke stood. "Enough resting," he said. "We should get a move on."

Suigetsu stood with a barely concealed groan, earing him another smack to the head from Karin. The quartet continued their trek, everyone struggling to keep up with Sasuke.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"What? Gaara needs our help?" Naruto asked, looking straight at Tsunade, who sighed and rubbed her face before answering.

"Yes, Naruto, that's what I just said. You, Sakura, Sai, and either Yamato or Kakashi – your choice – are going to go to Sunagakura to help out however you can. Now, because the Akatsuki are involved, I wouldn't ordinarily send you, Naruto, but the Kazekage asked for you specifically."

"We get to choose our team leader?" Sakura asked. Tsunade nodded. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other and grinned, looking back at Tsunade.

"We choose Kakashi-sensei!" they both said simultaneously.

Tsunade blinked. She didn't know what she was expecting, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn't that. She looked to the third member of the team, who was just standing there silently. "Sai? What do you think?"

Sai shrugged. "They want Kakashi, so I suppose we'll take Kakashi."

Tsunade nodded. "You have three hours to prepare, then you'll all be meeting up with Kakashi at the entrance gate. Got it?"

"Wait," Naruto said quickly. "How long are we going to be there for?"

"As long as you're needed. Dismissed!"

Naruto, Sakura, and Sai left the Hokage tower, each going to their homes in order to prepare for the journey ahead of them.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Three hours later, Team Kakashi was assembled in front of the gates to Konoha with Tsunade in front of them.

"I expect each of you to come back," she said, staring at each of the four of them in turn, "and I also expect you to do the best you can, and follow whatever instructions the Kazekage gives you."

"We know this already, Grandma Tsunade," Naruto complained, getting antsy. "Can't you just let us go already?"

Tsunade pursed her lips, taking another long look at the teammates. "Kakashi, come with me for a moment. I need to talk to you."

Kakashi and Tsunade walked a little way off, and Naruto strained his ears to hear what the Hokage was saying. Sakura smacked him upside the head once she figured out what he was trying to do.

"Baka!" she exclaimed. "It's rude to eavesdrop!"

Naruto pouted, rubbing his head. "Did you have to hit quite that hard, Sakura-chan? That hurt! And besides, don't you want to know what they're talking about?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Well, yeah, I do, but still...we shouldn't..."

"How will we get in trouble if we don't let on that we know?" Naruto asked with a grin. Sakura mulled that one over for a bit, then nodded. They both tried to listen in. Unfortunately, their conversation took so long that all they could hear was the last bit.

"...and don't let Naruto and Sakura know," Tsunade was whispering. Kakashi nodded.

"Of course, Tsunade-sama," he said, and headed back over to where the rest of his team was waiting, Tsunade following him.

"Alright, Team Kakashi," Tsunade said once the two of them had returned, "move out!"

The four Konoha shinobi embarked on their long journey to Sunagakure.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Are we there yet?" Suigetsu complained.

"You can't seriously be tired already," Karin said in disbelief. "We stopped only five minutes ago!"

"Yeah, but it wasn't much of a stop," the white-haired ninja said. "Not nearly enough time for me to even begin to rest up properly."

Karin was about to say something nasty, but Sasuke interrupted, not stopping nor glancing back at his teammates. "If you don't like it," he said simply, "then leave."

This shut Suigetsu up for a whole ten minutes. _A new record,_ Karin thought dryly.

"So...remind me again why we're doing Madara's dirty work?" Suigetsu inquired once the ten minutes were up.

"Because Sasuke-kun needs the help of the Akatsuki to carry out his revenge plan," Karin said. Sasuke stopped.

"I don't need their help," he said coldly. "It would be much easier if I had it, but I am perfectly capable of taking out Konoha on my own...with you three, I suppose." This shut both Karin and Suigetsu up, and Sasuke kept walking.

"You two should learn to keep your mouths shut more often," the Uchiha said as the group continued along its way. "Juugo is a more peaceful traveling companion; he doesn't feel the need to fill every silence with endless chatter." Team Hawk continued in silence for another twenty minutes, when Suigetsu collapsed on the ground. All three of his teammates stopped and looked at him; Juugo with pity, Karin with sympathy disguised as disgust, and Sasuke with cold indifference.

"We'll stop here," the raven haired man said, and Karin flopped on the ground with a relieved sigh. Sasuke sighed. It was going to take a lot longer than he'd intended for them to reach Suna.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Gaara's eye twitched. "How much longer is this going to take, Kankurou?" he asked. His older brother held up a hand.

"Just bear with me for another moment," he said. Kankurou fiddled with one of his puppets for a little while longer before stepping back with a grin. "Okay, watch this," he said. He did his Puppet Master Jutsu, and the puppet stood. It was much smaller than the rest of his puppets, and Gaara wondered what the purpose of this one was.

Kankurou moved the puppet so it sat on his shoulder. He looked at his brother, still grinning. "Gaara," he said, "meet Woody!" The puppet waved. "Hi, Gaara," it seemed to say in a higher pitched version of Kankurou's voice. Gaara's eye twitched again.

"You made me sit here and wait so you could show me your ventriloquism act?" he asked, clearly not impressed.

"Well, yeah," the puppet user said. "I was going to perform at the bar tomorrow. What do you think of it?"

In response, a wave of sand came in and knocked the puppet off of Kankurou's shoulder, smashing it to pieces and then burying it. Kankurou looked at what was visible of his mangled puppet, then looked back at Gaara, and sighed.

"Yeah, that was more or less Temari's response too," he said. "So I guess I should keep working on it, then?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed a little. "I had a reason for coming in here," he informed Kankurou.

"You mean, it wasn't just because you wanted to spend time with your big brother?" the brunette asked.

"No. One of our shinobi saw four Akatsuki members headed this way. I need you and Temari to help get all the villagers somewhere safe, then join me on the roof to await our visitors."

"On the roof?" Kankurou repeated. "Shouldn't we wait at the entrance to Suna?"

"If we wait on the roof, we can see our enemies coming from farther than we can at the entrance," Gaara replied. Kankurou nodded.

"I'll go get Temari and help the villagers," he said, getting up and leaving his newest puppet where it lay. He went off in search of their sister. Gaara stood as well, going to let the other village shinobi know of the predicament.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"We need to take as few breaks as possible," Kakashi was saying as he and his team ran as quickly as they could, "and any breaks we do take need to be as short as we can make them. We don't know how close the Akatsuki members are to Suna, and it would be nice to get there before them."

"But it takes three days to get there," Sakura said.

"Not if we keep going without stopping at night. That's why Tsunade-sama gave us a large supply of food pills," Kakashi replied. "Speaking of which, we should probably each take a couple now."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked with a grin. "I'm not even going as fast as I can!" He laughed. "Maybe I should run in front, and you guys can all try to match my pace!" Without waiting for a response, Naruto took off ahead.

Sakura sighed. "Sometimes, he reminds me so much of Lee," she said, taking a few food pills.

"So now you like both of them?" Sai asked flippantly, taking a few as well. Sakura nearly stopped and punched Sai into oblivion, but reminded herself of their mission and calmed down. She shot off, leaving Sai and Kakashi behind her in an attempt to catch up to Naruto.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Oof!" Suigetsu exclaimed, landing on his butt in the sand after walking into Sasuke, who had stopped without warning. Karin and Juugo stopped as well.

"...Sasuke-kun...?" Karin started cautiously.

"We have to detour around Suna," Sasuke said abruptly. "We'll go in the back."

"Umm, I don't think there is a back entrance," Suigetsu said, standing and wiping sand off of him.

"Then we'll make one," Sasuke snapped. "You're a water ninja, aren't you? The walls of Suna are all made of sand. You do the math."

"Why do we have to detour?" Juugo asked. "It will just take longer."

"If we've been spotted by a Sand shinobi," Sasuke replied, "the Kazekage will have been informed and be expecting us, likely with an army of some sort...he might be alone, but on the off chance he isn't, we'd best go around."

"We can take them, however many there are," Suigetsu said, momentarily forgetting his fatigue. "I've been wanting a good fight for a while."

"It doesn't matter; we're going around. We're far enough away from the village right now that I doubt they've seen us, so we should be fine. Let's go."

With that, Sasuke started off again, not even looking to see if his teammates were following, which they were.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Getting all the villagers to safety took longer than Temari thought it would, mostly because nobody believed her or Kankurou when they said there was danger coming. Nothing was happening at that moment, so why would there be a need to evacuate the village?

By the time everyone was safe, it was already nighttime. Temari heaved a sigh of relief as she and Kankurou headed back to the Kazekage office to meet with Gaara again. They got to the roof, and sure enough, their brother was waiting.

"Do we have to start standing up here right now?" Kankurou asked as the three of them stood side by side.

"They could attack tonight," Gaara replied. "Darkness didn't stop them last time."

"But Gaara," Temari began, "these guys are sure to be different from the last ones. I mean, we know that that one guy was killed, so even if the blonde one is back again, he'll have three new partners who might not want to attack in the dark."

"But we don't know," the redhead told her. "If they attack at night and I'm not ready, then I've failed as Kazekage."

"Part of 'being ready' is being rested and alert," Kankurou said. "If you're waiting here, half asleep, and they come in, you won't be in any condition to fight them off."

"Well, since you two know so much more about the situation than I do, what do you suggest?" Gaara snapped.

"Gaara, we're just trying to help," Temari said.

"Yeah, there's no need to snap at us!" Kankurou agreed.

Gaara sighed. "Well? What do you think we should do?"

Temari put a hand on her youngest brother's shoulder. "Go inside and get some sleep. Kankurou and I will stay here and keep watch. If we see anything, one of us will come get you, okay?"

"We will?" Kankurou asked. Temari gave him a look that clearly said 'cooperate or else'. "I mean, yeah, of course we will." He put a hand on Gaara's other shoulder. "You're the Kazekage. Out of the three of us, you're the most important."

"We can't have you trying to fight when you're falling asleep the whole while," Temari added. "You'll get yourself killed or captured that way."

Gaara stood there silently for another while, then shrugged his siblings' hands off his shoulders and went inside without a word.

Temari and Kankurou looked at each other, then sighed in relief.

"I'm surprised he actually took my advice," Temari whispered softly.

"Well, at least half of it," Kankurou replied. "We don't know if he went to bed or not, but at least he's inside."

Temari nodded, and the pair of them looked off into the distance, beyond the gates of Suna.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Can we stop here for the night?" Sakura asked.

"We're going to have to keep going all night," Kakashi replied. "If we want to get to Suna in less than three days, this is necessary." Sakura groaned.

"Then can we at least stop for a longer break than normal?" she asked.

"We just stopped an hour ago, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, still as energetic as ever. "You're tired already?"

"Not all of us have a demon inside of us to give us strength, Naruto," Sakura snapped. "And besides, I wasn't asking you."

"He's right, Sakura," Kakashi said. "We did just stop an hour ago. We'll have to wait at least another half hour for another break."

Sakura groaned again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The next night, Team Kakashi could begin to see Suna's lights.

"We'll spend the night here, Kakashi said, stopping just outside a cave. "We're only a couple hours away from the village now, so we'll rest up and head over in daylight."

Sakura flopped down onto the sand, sighing in relief. "Finally!" she exclaimed, closing her eyes. She was asleep in seconds. Sai sighed in relief as well and dragged his feet into the cave, laying down and using his backpack as a pillow.

Naruto sat on the sand near Sakura. "Do you need someone to keep watch, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked with a small yawn.

"Get some sleep, Naruto," Kakashi said. "I can take the first watch. It shouldn't be necessary to have anyone watching, but just in case, I'll stay awake."

Naruto nodded, surprising Kakashi by not arguing. _He must be more tired than he lets on,_ the silver haired jounin thought to himself.

Naruto laid down on the sand, closing his eyes. Kakashi sighed, then sat in front of where both Naruto and Sakura lay, preparing himself for a long night of nothing.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The next morning, Temari yawned, sitting on the roof of the Kazekage office with Kankurou. Her brother looked at her. "You can go in and get some sleep, you know," he said. "I can come get you and Gaara if something happens."

Temari looked at him. "You sure? I can stay awake if you want."

"No, no, go ahead."

The blonde kunoichi stood without another word and left to go inside. Kankurou sighed and looked off into the distance, where the sun was rising slowly. Just then, he saw four figures running towards the village at top speed.

"Crap!" he exclaimed, and quickly went back inside to get his brother and sister.

A few minutes later, the three siblings of the Sand all stood atop the Kazekage office, Gaara in front. They watched the four shinobi run closer, and the first thing they noticed was that the people weren't wearing Akatsuki cloaks. The second thing was that the person in front was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.

Gaara gave a small smile and lowered himself to the ground with his sand, heading to Sunagakure's gates to greet his friend.

**Well? What did you think? Good, bad, horrible? XD Like I said, this is my first time writing something like this. Please review and let me know how I'm doing so far! I can't promise all the chapters will be this long, but I'll definitely try, because I know that my other stories tend to have short chapters, and I'm trying to work on fixing that issue. So yeah, review and tell me what you think, and if you have any ideas for later in the fic! I know this is labeled as "Romance/Drama" but every good fic needs to have some degree of humour in it, especially for this fandom. And just so you know, the chapters in the future probably won't have this many page breaks. I just did it this way for the first chapter because I was trying to write three different groups at once. Okay, I'll shut up now.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone! I'm back already! XD Well, I won't waste too much time here, because I really like this chapter and I want to get it to you guys quickly, but I apologize for it being shorter than last chapter. I knew exactly where I wanted to end this one, and I couldn't drag the moment out any longer than I already did, so blah. This is only twelve pages instead of sixteen like last one. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

Naruto grinned as he saw Gaara coming over to him. He slowed down and stopped right in front of the former Ichibi Jinchuuriki, pulling him into a tight hug. The redhead awkwardly patted Naruto on the back.

"Hi, Naruto," Gaara said.

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto replied, releasing his friend. "Long time no see, huh?" He chuckled as the rest of his team caught up to him, at the same time Temari and Kankurou came up behind Gaara.

"Hold on," Temari said, stepping in between Gaara and Naruto. "We need to make sure these guys are who they look to be. It seems awfully convenient that there are four of them, when that's exactly how many Akatsuki members are on their way. And who are you?" she added, looking at Sai.

"I'm the newest member of this team," Sai informed her. "I was the replacement for Sasuke. My name is Sai."

Temari nodded. "So you're the kid Shikamaru told me about, then."

Naruto almost jumped. "Oh yeah, that's right! Shikamaru gave me something for you, Temari," he said, blushing. Temari raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Did he?"

"Ummm...yeah." Naruto scratched the back of his head, looking away in embarrassment.

"Well? Where is it, then?"

Naruto bit his lip, then leaned forward and kissed Temari, whose eyes widened. She pushed him away forcefully, wiping her mouth.

"What the hell was that for?" she exclaimed.

"It's what Shikamaru wanted me to give you for him," Naruto replied. "And if you think that was bad, let me tell you it was a hell of a lot worse when he was passing it to me to give!"

Temari glared at the other blonde. "Well, next time you see Shikamaru, let him know that I don't appreciate him making other boys kiss me just because he's too lazy to drag his ass over here and do it himself!"

"Yeah...I'll do that," Naruto assured her.

"Anyway, I still need proof that you three are the real deal. Tell me something about any of us that only the real Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura would know."

"During the Chuunin Exams," Kakashi said, "just before the third round, Gaara interrupted my training of Sasuke to try and fight him early."

Temari looked at Gaara, who nodded. "It's true," he said.

Temari looked back at the Konoha shinobi. "Alright, Kakashi's fine."

"It was me and Granny Chiyo who brought you back to life earlier, Gaara," Naruto said.

"Not good enough," Temari told him. "The Akatsuki could've had spies watching that."

"Okay, fine, then. Kankurou, you won your fight in the preliminary round of the Chuunin Exams by switching places with your puppet at the beginning of the fight."

Temari looked at Kankurou, who thought about it for a long moment. "Hey, yeah, that is what I did!" he said finally. "Good memory, kid."

Temari nodded. "Okay, Naruto's fine...just barely, though."

"Temari," Sakura began, "during your fight with Tenten in the preliminary round of the Chuunin Exams, you opened your fan one bit at a time, saying that once the third moon was revealed, the match would be over. However, in your fight with Shikamaru shortly after, you just opened your fan all the way to begin with."

Temari blinked. "Whoa. That's a really good memory," she said. "I almost forgot about that, myself. Okay, all three of you pass."

"What about me?" Sai asked.

"We only just met you, so it doesn't matter," Temari replied. "Come in, all of you. We'll show you where you'll be staying."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Suigetsu," Sasuke called, "are you rested up enough yet?"

"Oh, now you ask me," Suigetsu muttered.

"I need you to be well rested for the next bit of the plan to work," the Uchiha stated flatly. "So? Are you?"

Suigetsu sighed. "Yeah, I suppose so," he replied.

"Good," Sasuke said. "Karin, Juugo, be prepared for a fight, but don't go looking for one. If at all possible, I'd like to get in, get our target, and get out. And that's what I'll be doing; going straight for the target. I need you three to cover me, but try not to kill anyone."

"Again with the 'no killing' rule?" Suigetsu asked. "Why are you so opposed to killing, anyway? You're planning on slaughtering pretty much all of Konoha, and you killed your own brother, so what's a few more deaths, really?"

Sasuke drew his sword and pushed Suigetsu up against a wall, blade at his throat. "Never," he spat, eyes Sharingan red and voice venomous, "talk about Itachi like that, especially not in front of me."

Suigetsu gulped, eyes wide, then he relaxed. "Or what? You'll kill me? Even though you seem to value nearly every life?"

Sasuke pushed his sword into Suigetsu's neck harder, hard enough to draw blood, then pulled back, sliding the sword back into its sheath.

"For the record," he said as Suigetsu rubbed at his neck, "I only kill people who deserve it. And you're well on your way to deserving it."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai were sitting down at a large dining table, along with Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara, eating breakfast.

"So nothing's happened since the Akatsuki were spotted?" Sakura asked.

"No," Temari replied. "I'm starting to wonder if that girl really did see anyone."

"Why would she make something like that up, though?" Kankurou asked.

Temari shrugged. "She could be a spy for the Akatsuki, sent for the sole purpose of testing our defenses and how quickly we go into action."

Gaara shook his head. "I thought of that too, so I had her interrogated by our best shinobi, and she wasn't lying, nor is she a spy of any kind. She really did see four Akatsuki members."

"Then where are they?" Naruto asked, and nobody said a word.

Once they were all done eating, Kakashi asked to be shown to where the villagers were taken. Temari and Kankurou took him, Sai, and Sakura, while Naruto and Gaara stayed behind.

"One or two of us should stay here to protect the villagers," Kakashi said once they'd reached their destination. Temari nodded.

"That's a good idea. Who will stay?"

"Definitely not Naruto," Sakura and Kakashi said simultaneously.

"He'll want to be a part of the main fight," Kakashi added.

"So he still hasn't changed?" Kankurou asked with a grin. Sakura shook her head.

"Sadly, no," she replied.

"I'll stay here," Sai offered.

"No, we could have need of your skills, Sai," Kakashi said. "Sakura, why don't you stay?"

"No way!" she exclaimed. "I want to be fighting! Besides, I'm the only medic-nin here, so I should be with the rest of you."

Kakashi sighed. "Fine. Sai, you can stay. Do you need me to stay with you, or can you handle it on your own?" he asked.

"I'll be fine by myself, Sai answered, smiling. Kakashi nodded.

"Okay, then. The rest of us should go back and check on Naruto and Gaara, make sure nothing happened." Kakashi, Sakura, Temari, and Kankurou left, and Sai stayed, as he'd said he would.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"...so you've gotta help me," Naruto was saying to Gaara.

"I don't see why you need my help," the redhead told him. "You've done just fine on your own with others. I wouldn't be the way I am today if it hadn't been for you, and I'd been like that nearly all my life."

"You don't get it, Gaara," Naruto said with a sigh. "With you, there was a connection, an understanding; both of us shunned by our village because of what was inside us, but I chose a different path from you. With Sasuke...the only thing we really have in common is a lack of parents, yet he refuses to acknowledge that, because I never knew my parents, whereas he spent the first seven or eight years of his life with a family."

Gaara sighed now. "What do you want me to say? 'Keep trying, you'll get through to him eventually'?"

"I guess that's all anyone can do, isn't it? Just say stuff," Naruto said. "I'm the only person with any hope of getting him back. Other people can tell me nice things, and hope they work, but in the end, it's all me."

"Naruto, I know you can do it," Gaara assured him. "It's just a matter of finding him again."

At that moment, a guard came rushing in. "Sorry to interrupt, Kazekage-sama, but the wall at the back of the village is collapsing!"

Naruto and Gaara both got to their feet. "Thank you," Gaara said the the guard. "Go round up all the shinobi you can find, aside from the genin, and tell them to meet us at the back wall."

"Yes, sir," the man said, running out. Gaara looked at Naruto.

"Naruto, do you trust me?"

The blonde blinked. "Huh? Yeah, of course." Gaara nodded and grabbed Naruto's hand, pulling him over to the window and jumping out, feet first, with Naruto falling beside him.

"What the hell?" Naruto exclaimed, then let out an "Oof!" when he hit the cloud of sand that Gaara had called up to them.

"You said you trusted me," Gaara reminded him.

Naruto took his hand out of Gaara's. "Yeah, but a little warning next time would be nice!"

Gaara just shrugged and floated the sand cloud quickly towards the back wall of the village. Along the way, they spotted Kakashi, Sakura, Temari, and Kankurou, so Gaara lowered the cloud and expanded it, telling the four of them to get on.

"Why? What's going on?" Sakura asked as Temari grabbed her hand and pulled her up. As soon as everybody was on, Gaara raised the cloud again and sped it up.

"Sakura," Temari began, "when Gaara tells you to do something, you do it first and ask questions later, especially in a time like this." She paused. "Unless he's telling you to die or something. Then that's a different matter."

"The back wall is being destroyed," Gaara said in answer to Sakura's question. "It's probably the start of the Akatsuki's attack. I've sent most of the village shinobi over there as well, just in case." He sped up, trying to get there quicker.

They turned a corner, and the back wall was in their sight. A fairly large section of it looked as though it was melting or something. Gaara put one hand up in its direction while keeping his other hand in control of the sand cloud. He tried to repair the wall, keep it from falling further, and keep the sand cloud going at the same time. Naturally, something had to give, so of course, it was all three.

Luckily, the fall wasn't very far. However, the six of them were still a ways away from the wall, so Gaara made another cloud of sand and concentrated solely on getting them quickly to their destination, which he managed to do. He then dropped the sand cloud and focused on trying to rebuild the wall.

Naruto watched him do this, and he was the first to realize how the wall was falling.

"Somebody's doing a water style jutsu on the other side!" he exclaimed. "Gaara, there's no point! You can't keep the wall up forever. May as well just stop now and save your chakra for fighting the intruders."

Gaara said nothing, but instead, tried harder. Soon enough, however, the wall absorbed too much water, and just fell completely. The force of it caused a lot of sand dust to rise, obscuring everyone's vision.

Naruto could hear movement around him, and tried to rely on his ears to tell him where it was coming from. A figure walked through the dust towards him, and he squinted to try and see it properly. The person was, as Gaara had suspected, an obvious Akatsuki member, and Naruto could tell it was a woman. She had red hair, wore glasses, and seemed to be sniffing at Naruto with her eyes closed.

She flicked her eyes open, looked Naruto up and down, then turned and called out, "I found him!" She turned her attention back to Naruto, grinning. Two other figures started to appear in the dust, these ones running. They came up and stood on either side of the girl, and Naruto noted that they were both men, and they too wore Akatsuki cloaks. One had white hair and pointed teeth, while the other had orange hair.

"Hey, wasn't that Zabuza's sword?" Naruto asked, looking at the sword in the white haired ninja's hand. The man looked back at Naruto in shock.

"You know Zabuza-senpai?" he asked. The girl smacked him in the back of the head.

"Dammit, Suigetsu, you know we're not supposed to talk to the kid!" she snapped.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out. "Naruto, where are you?"

Naruto looked over in the direction of Sakura's voice. "Over here, Saku-" A hand clamped tightly over his mouth before he had a chance to finish replying. He blinked in confusion.

"Not another word, dobe," a familiar voice warned. Naruto's eyes widened, and he struggled to turn around, which he eventually managed. He was at a loss for words for once. He, Uzumaki Naruto, was struck dumb, except for one word, whispered so softly that only the person standing inches away could hear him.

"Sasuke."

**Sorry to end on a sort of cliffie, but it felt natural to end it there. XD I'm sure you all were expecting that, too. Ah well. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! Please review! I'm rewatching the Chuunin Exams arc currently, so that's why I put those references in here. I apologize if you feel that it's going too fast...I want to get this beginning part done so I can get to the fun part. XD  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, folks, I apologize sincerely for the lack of update recently. I was on vacation with my family the past couple days, and got a hell of a lot of writing done, so to make up for my absence, I present you with two chapters, both of which are much longer than the last one. This one was 19 pages written, and the next was 16, same as the first. XD**

**Just a couple more notes before we get started...firstly, I'd like to thank Hitoko-sama, , and dragonlilly1993 for being my only reviewers so far...mostly dragonlilly1993 for reviewing both chapters. XD Secondly, I'd like to thank my good friend Nitrisity. Although he doesn't EVER review, he tells me what he thinks via MSN, and he's the one responsible for deciding (unknowingly of course) what way this coming battle will go...so blame him if you don't like it. Lol. Or don't...he'll blame me if he suddenly gets hate messages. XD I'm putting nearly all of the jutsus in their English form, that way everyone will know what's happening. XD The exceptions are Raikiri and (when it eventually gets used) Chidori, as well as anything else that isn't made into English in the dubbed version of the anime.**

**Alrighty, last note, then I promise the chapter will start, it really will. I apologize in advance if from now on Sasuke is a bit OOC...it's easier for me to capture his personality when it's just him with his little minions. XD When Naruto's around...well, that little fox just likes to screw with everyone's character, doesn't he? So yeah, this is me apologizing for any OOCness, especially in Sasuke. Oh, and there will be quite a bit of Sakura bashing from now on, so I apologize to any Sakura lovers reading. There will also be some Karin bashing. XD I couldn't help myself. Or rather, Sasuke couldn't help himself. He got too out of hand...I couldn't control what he was saying or doing anymore. If any of you out there are character authors like myself, you'll understand what I mean. XD**

**Kay, I think that's everything I needed to say for now...if I think of anything else, I'll put it at the end of the chapter (if I remember then).**

**Chapter 3**

"Sasuke."

"Hello, Naruto," the Uchiha said with a smirk. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"You know him, Sasuke-kun?" the redheaded girl asked incredulously.

"Karin, shut up," Sasuke said. "Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu, get ready. Once the dust settles, everyone will be on us." Sasuke's eyes never left Naruto's shocked face.

"You...why...what are you doing here, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, still mostly speechless.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Dobe. Isn't it obvious? I'm leading the team to take over this village. Or, more specifically, to take you."

"Me?" Naruto repeated. "But why...what do you need with me?"

"Wow, you're more of an idiot than I remember," Sasuke said. "Take a good look at me, Naruto. I'm sure you can figure it out." He took a couple steps back, and Naruto looked him up and down, only just taking in the fact that his "friend" was wearing an Akatsuki cloak.

"Sasuke...why are you wearing that?"

"Because I joined the Akatsuki, you idiot!" Sasuke exclaimed. "I'm capturing you to bring to them so they can take the damn fox out of you!"

Naruto's eyes widened. "But that'll kill me!" he informed the Uchiha.

"So?" Sasuke spat. "Why should I care?"

"Because you're my friend," Naruto replied, eyes narrowing now. "And no matter how hard you try to hide it, I know I'm your friend too." He started at Sasuke a moment longer before turning to the side. "Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei! I'm over here!"

Sasuke cursed. "You stupid dobe! You're only making it worse for yourself!"

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Stop calling me that, teme! And quit threatening me! Gaara, Temari, Kankurou! Come over here!"

"Juugo, Karin, Suigetsu, triangle around us!" Sasuke ordered, going over and grabbing Naruto, putting his sword to the Kyuubi holder's neck. The rest of Team Hawk followed their leader's instructions just as Sakura, Kakashi, Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou came running over.

Sakura gasped. "Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed. Kakashi looked unsurprised, yet disappointed all the same.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Gaara stated. "Who would've guessed that you'd end up with the Akatsuki?"

"Umm, guys?" Naruto said. "A little less chatting and a little more helping me would be great."

"Naruto, you idiot," Kakashi sighed. "How'd you manage to get yourself in this mess?"

"Does it really matter?" Naruto asked, squirming. "Just get me out of it!"

"The more you struggle, the further I'll press this blade into your throat," Sasuke informed him.

"Go ahead, see if I care," Naruto spat, struggling more.

Sasuke pressed the blade deeper into Naruto's neck, drawing blood, without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Naruto barely even flinched. "Guys, do something!" he exclaimed.

"We'll hit you if we do!" Temari told him.

"I DON'T FREAKING CARE!" Naruto yelled. "JUST DO SOMETHING ALREADY! I REFUSE TO BE TAKEN AWAY BY THIS TEME!"

"Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo, if any of them so much as flinch, go in for the kill," Sasuke ordered.

"But Sasuke-kun," Karin said, glancing back at her leader, "there are five of them, and only three of us. Even if each of us stops one, the other two could get you."

"Are you questioning my orders?" Sasuke asked, staring right at her. Her eyes widened.

"N-no, I'm just saying-"

"I'm perfectly capable of fighting as well, Karin," Sasuke informed the red haired girl. "If it comes to that, I can deal with it. This dobe is coming with me, whether anyone likes it or not."

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" Sakura yelled out, her body still frozen in shock. "You can't take Naruto away! You just can't!"

Sasuke looked over at his former teammate. "What are you going to do about it, Sakura? Faint on me?" He smirked, lazily flicking his Sharingan on and surveying the scene around him. Kakashi chose that moment to strike. He quickly charged up his Raikiri and ran forward with it, headed for the opening between Suigetsu and Karin. Right at the last second, Suigetsu moved in Kakashi's path, getting hit full in the chest.

Suigetsu cried out in pain, and Kakashi pulled his hand away. Suigetsu wobbled but managed to stay upright.

Naruto stared at the pair of them, mouth wide open, then started struggling against Sasuke's arms again, hoping the Uchiha had been distracted by this. He hadn't, and pressed his sword slightly deeper into Naruto's neck.

"I told you not to struggle," the raven haired man said.

"And I told you I don't care if you press any harder. You and I both know you won't kill me, and I can heal quickly enough from any injury you give me, so it doesn't matter. I heal quicker than normal shinobi, remember?"

"Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari yelled out, waving her fan at Team Hawk and, consequently, Naruto. Juugo moved from his previous position to stand directly in between Temari's jutsu and Sasuke, effectively shielding his leader from the worst of the attack.

Taking advantage of the newly created opening, Kankurou used Salamander as a shield against the rest of his sister's attack, then sent Crow in to Sasuke, poison needles exposed. Sasuke turned and used Naruto as a human shield. Kankurou's eyes widened, and he yanked Crow back just seconds before the poison tips hit.

"What the hell, Sasuke?" Naruto exclaimed in shock. "You stupid teme, what if Kankurou didn't stop in time?"

Karin looked over. "Sasuke-kun, please be careful! If he gets killed-"

"Shut up, both of you!" Sasuke interrupted. "I know what I'm doing!"

Kankurou guided Crow to the other side of Karin, arms open to grab her.

Sasuke, still looking her way, yelled out, "Karin! Behind you!" She turned and jumped out of the way just in time. Kankurou cursed.

Karin turned back to look at Sasuke. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she said with a blush and a smile. Sasuke rolled his eyes, then noticed the rush of sand coming at her from behind.

"Don't look at me, you idiot!" the Uchiha exclaimed. "Pay attention to what's going on around you!"

Karin turned again with a small "Huh?" and her eyes widened as she, too, saw the sand.

"So I see you're still this mean to your teammates, huh?" Naruto said. "We weren't just special?" Sasuke pressed his sword deeper in response, eyes flicking around and taking in the battle scene.

Suigetsu was only now recovering from Kakashi's Raikiri, and was making rapid hand signs. _Why doesn't he just use the sword he wanted so badly?_ Sasuke wondered.

Kakashi was looking all around with his Sharingan, trying to find an opening to attack again. Temari was hidden behind her fan, so Sasuke couldn't see what she was doing. Kankurou was gathering his puppets for another attack.

Juugo had both his arms transformed into his Second State Curse Mark, and was rushing towards Kakashi. Sasuke found himself wishing, briefly, that he still had his Curse Mark so he'd have that extra power. But that thought was gone just as quickly as it had come.

Karin was frantically trying to dodge Gaara's numerous sand attacks, and Sakura...Sasuke rolled his eyes. Sakura was still just standing there, staring at everything going on. Naruto seemed to notice this at the same time as Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan, don't just stand there!" the blonde Jinchuuriki exclaimed. "Do someth – OW!" Sasuke's blade cut deeper into Naruto's neck.

"Shut up, dobe."

"Stop calling me that, teme!"

Juugo grabbed Kakashi in his now overly large hands, squeezing the jounin until he fell unconscious. "Kakashi-sensei!" both Naruto and Sakura yelled out at the same time.

_One down, four to go,_ Sasuke thought. _Make that three,_ he amended, taking into account Sakura's uselessness.

Meanwhile, Suigetsu had finished the hand signs he had been making. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

All fighting stopped, everyone's eyes glued to the water dragon Suigetsu conjured up out of seemingly nowhere.

"But how...?" Temari began.

"That's impossible!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Wait, doesn't a Water Style jutsu that powerful need water for it to work?" Naruto asked blankly, remembering all the times he'd fought with Water Style users, or watched battles involving them.

"Obviously, dobe," Sasuke replied, the only person not totally hypnotized by this.

"Then how is that possible? There's no water in the desert."

As Naruto spoke, the water dragon attacked Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara, sending them all flying.

"There's water buried deep beneath the sand," Suigetsu said with a grin.

_Now there's just Sakura,_ Sasuke thought. _That shouldn't be a problem._ He sheathed his sword and picked Naruto up, throwing him over his shoulder. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Put me down, teme!" he yelled, beating his feet and fists against Sasuke. The Uchiha sighed and dropped the Jinchuuriki on the ground roughly, crouching over him and activating his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Naruto, who had closed his eyes at the impact, now opened them blearily to see Sasuke staring right at him. He immediately closed his eyes when he saw his former friend's Mangekyo Sharingan, but it was too late.

"Tsukuyomi," Sasuke breathed, and once Naruto was unconscious from the after effects of the jutsu, he picked the blonde boy up again.

"Karin, Juugo, Suigetsu, we're leaving," he said then, staring right at Sakura. "Unless Sakura is planning on doing anything about it."

The pink haired girl stood there, staring at the man she professed to love, unable to make up her mind. Sasuke smirked, and he and his team poofed away before Sakura had a chance to decide, taking Naruto with them.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Kakashi opened his eyes to see Sakura's worried face hovering over him. He blinked. "Sakura?"

The pink haired girl let out a sigh of relief, smiling. "Kakashi-sensei, you're alright." Kakashi sat up and looked around, noticing he was in a hospital.

"Did we win?" he asked, and Sakura's face fell.

"Well, essentially yes. We protected Suna, and Gaara-kun is fine. But..." She trailed off.

"But what? Sakura, what happened?"

Sakura bit her lip. "He took Naruto away. They all poofed off, and Sasuke-kun was holding Naruto. And I didn't do anything to stop him! I just couldn't..."

Kakashi sighed. "Well, all we can do now is check if we're needed here any more, and then go back to Konoha to tell Tsunade-sama what happened."

"Wait a minute, Sensei," Sakura said, remembering something. "Why was it that you didn't seem very surprised to see Sasuke-kun?"

"Oh, that. Well, Tsunade-sama told me there was a rumour Sasuke might be among the Akatsuki members coming, but she made me promise not to tell you or Naruto."

Sakura nodded. "I thought it was something like that." She sighed.

At that moment, the door opened, and Gaara walked in, looking at Kakashi. "So what are your plans now?" the Kazekage asked.

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck. "Unless you need us to stay for any reason, then we'll be headed back to Konoha."

Gaara nodded. "Go ahead, we can take care of the mess here. I'll have a message sent ahead to let the Hokage know you're returning."

Sakura gave Gaara a small smile. "Thank you," she said, her gaze lingering on him a little while. He nodded again, then left.

"Well, I suppose we should grab Sai and head back," Kakashi said, swinging his feet over and standing up. "If Gaara-sama is sending a message, then we'd better get a move on. Tsunade-sama won't wait very patiently for news, especially since it's been under a day since we got here."

Sakura bit her lip. "Yeah...about that..."

Kakashi sighed. "How long was I out?" he asked.

"Well...not too long..."

"How long, Sakura?"

The pink haired girl sighed. "About a day and a half," she replied. Kakashi's visible eye widened.

"Are you serious? Then we have to get moving now!" the silver haired jounin exclaimed.

"Why the sudden rush, Sensei?" Sakura asked, surprised by her sensei's apparent alarm.

"Think about it for a moment, Sakura," he said, "and while you're thinking, come with me to find Sai." The two of them left the hospital, searching for their teammate. "Sasuke has joined the Akatsuki, whether we like it or not, and has taken Naruto as a prisoner. We have an idea of what they want with him from what they did to Gaara-sama, but we don't know where their current hide-out is, or how far away it is. Sasuke and his team obviously know where they're going, and they'll likely be going there quickly. Ordinarily, losing a day and a half wouldn't be that big of a deal, but Naruto's life depends on us finding him as soon as we can."

Sakura nodded quietly, thinking over Kakashi's words. "Well, maybe we can ask Gaara-kun to explain in his letter briefly what happened, and Tsunade-sama can get a search team ready and send them out before we get back." Kakashi nodded.

"You go see if it can be done. I'll find Sai, and we'll meet you at the entrance to Suna."

Sakura ran off the other way, heading to the Kazekage's office, while Kakashi continued along to try and find Sai.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_Where am I?_ Naruto thought as he opened his eyes blearily. _And what happened?_ All he could see was darkness as he sat up cautiously, taking a look around. It didn't take him long to figure out that he was in a cave, and a quick glance out the mouth of the cave told him both that it was currently night time, and that he was still somewhere in the desert. _Well, that answers one question,_ he mused, _now for what happened._ He took another look around and found that answer quickly too. He saw three people with him in the cave, all wearing Akatsuki cloaks. He recognized them as three of the four that had attacked Sunagakure. Two were laying down, apparently sleeping, while the third was sitting up, not too far from Naruto. It was the girl, Karin.

Just as he thought her name, Karin looked over at Naruto, then gave a small, surprised gasp, and faced the mouth of the cave. "Sasuke-kun, he's awake!" she called loudly, startling her sleeping companions awake. Moments later, a fourth figure appeared, coming towards Naruto.

"How are you awake already?" Sasuke asked, more of himself than of Naruto. He stood directly in front of the blonde boy. "Normally, a person put under by Tsukuyomi is out for at least a week...that damn fox. I knew it would heal you quickly, but I never expected it to be quite this quick..." He trailed off, realizing he was rambling. Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu all stared at Sasuke as though it was their first time seeing the Uchiha. The three of them huddled close together.

"I've never heard him say so much at one time," Karin whispered very quietly. Suigetsu nodded in agreement.

"I didn't even know he could say this much," the ex-water ninja said in awe, "and about his thoughts, too!"

"Quit whispering about me," Sasuke ordered without even turning. Karin and Suigetsu shut up and slide away from each other, leaving just Juugo sitting where they'd all been. The Uchiha's eyes never left Naruto. "So Naruto," he said, "do I have to put you under again, or tie you up or something, or will you be a good little dobe and come with us on your own?"

Naruto glared at his former friend. "I think you know the answer to that, teme," he replied. "You know I won't come with you if I'm not forced to – I'm not a total idiot, after all – and if you try that Tsuko-whatever thing again, I'll just wake up in another day or so."

Sasuke smirked. "You really are stupid, you know that? You could have lied and said you'd come, and then made your escape while we walked."

"I know you, Sasuke, just as well as you know me, and we both know that wouldn't have worked. You wouldn't have fallen for it, not for one second."

Sasuke's smirk widened. "Well, what do you know; you actually did use your brain, however small it may be." Naruto started swearing at Sasuke, whose smirk just stayed on his face.

_This is the most expressive I've ever seen Sasuke-kun, too,_ Karin reflected. _Who is this little blonde kid? How can he manage to bring Sasuke-kun's...social side out so well? All Sasuke-kun's told us is that he used to know the boy before he left Konoha, but he never said anything about how he knew him...now I'm curious._

Naruto was still swearing at Sasuke when Karin's mental monologue was over.

"Okay, that's enough, dobe," Sasuke snapped, turning around. "We'll be leaving now. Karin, tie him up, and make sure it's tight. Don't worry about not hurting him, the stupid Kyuubi will just heal any of his injuries." With that, Sasuke walked out of the cave and into the cool night of the desert.

Karin grabbed some rope and went to Naruto. Juugo and Suigetsu followed, Juugo holding Naruto's hands behind his back and Suigetsu holding Naruto's legs. This didn't stop the Jinchuuriki from struggling, though.

"Stay still for a minute so we can ask you some questions," Karin whispered. Naruto stopped struggling out of shock.

"What kind of questions?" he asked warily.

"Keep your voice down!" Suigetsu exclaimed in a whisper.

"How exactly do you know Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked, binding his arms tightly. Naruto hissed in pain.

"Oh, so this is all a ploy to get me to tell you all about your 'Sasuke-kun', is it?" he said loudly, knowing Sasuke would hear him, and counting on that fact. "Okay, I'll tell you. He was my best friend, one of the first people to acknowledge me as a shinobi and as a person. He pushed me to do better than my best, whether he ever knew that or not. If ever I felt like quitting at practicing or anything, the thought of what he'd say if he surpassed me was all that kept me going. He was my rival, and nobody could make me angry quite like he could. But he was also my friend, and understood me better than anyone else in the village. We were on the same team, so we had to work together, and when I think about it, we actually made a pretty good duo. I think that, maybe, if Orochimaru hadn't come along to remind Sasuke of his so called 'purpose', then just maybe he would still be in Konoha, still on my team, still working both with and against me."

Karin had forgotten her job as Naruto spoke, watching his face go from anger to a sort of longing. Even Suigetsu and Juugo were listening almost in awe.

"A touching thought," Sasuke said from the cave entrance, "but complete fantasy." Sasuke's "teammates" all jumped at the sound of their leader's voice and looked at him, petrified. Naruto just looked at his former friend with an angry sadness. "I would have left the village eventually," the Uchiha continued, coming closer, "with or without the power Orochimaru gave me. You may think I'd forgotten about my brother and my clan, but I hadn't. Misinformed as I was, I would have left Konoha as soon as I thought I was ready, and gone off to kill Itachi. And then, when that was done, I may have thought about returning, if I hadn't learned the truth and gained my new purpose, which I most likely still would have."

Naruto blinked. "Wait, 'misinformed'? 'The truth'? What the hell are you going on about, teme?"

Sasuke glared. "If you cooperate, dobe, then maybe I might tell you on the way to your death. Karin, stop kneeling there gawking and tie his legs up."

Naruto seemed to just remember that his legs were currently free, and kicked out against Suigetsu's arms and chest, trying to get free. Suigetsu was distracted enough that it actually worked...but Sasuke had Naruto's legs before the blonde had a chance to do anything.

"Karin, tie him now," Sasuke ordered as Naruto struggled against his hands.

"Let go of me, teme!" Naruto exclaimed as Karin did what she was told. "You're not serious about taking me to the Akatsuki to be killed, are you? After everything we've been through? All the missions we went on together, the thousands of times I've saved your sorry ass?"

Sasuke said nothing, but his teammates were looking between the two boys in barely disguised intrigue.

"We were friends, Sasuke!" Naruto continued. "Does that mean nothing to you?" Karin had stopped tying the rope, and Sasuke now gave her a harsh look.

"Did I tell you to stop tying?" he snapped, and Karin jumped.

"S-sorry, Sasuke-kun," she managed to get out, and finished tying the rope, making it tighter than the one around his wrists. Naruto hissed in pain, closing his eyes.

"Juugo," Sasuke ordered, letting go of Naruto, "carry him. We're going." He turned around as his strongest teammate picked up the blonde Jinchuuriki. Naruto sighed and didn't struggle.

"Sasuke," he said once more, making the raven haired man stop and turn slightly. "You may have everyone else fooled with your 'I don't give a crap' act, but I know you better than that. You don't fool me; I know you still care. You care about Konoha, about me, and Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei. You do, and I know it."

In response, Sasuke walked over to Naruto, now hanging over Juugo's shoulder, and slapped him hard across the face. "Don't ever," he almost yelled, "tell me how I feel or what I think! Don't think you know more about me than I do! You're just a stupid dobe, you don't know anything about me! You got that?"

Naruto just looked at the Uchiha sadly. "Yeah," he said, "I get it, alright." Before he could clarify what he meant, the team started moving. Naruto sighed and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible for the long trip ahead.

**There you have it, folks, your first chapter in probably about a week. XD Again, I apologize for the long wait, but hopefully this makes up for it, as well as next chapter. I must say, I had fun with the next chapter. XD We get to head back to Konoha and visit some characters that haven't had a say in this fic as of yet! Yay! And I'll probably fail at some of their personalities! Yay! Oh, I have no idea what either Sakura or Kakashi would call Gaara, so I just settled with "Gaara-kun" for Sakura and "Gaara-sama" for Kakashi, because it seemed most likely to me. I also don't know how to say "master" in Japanese, and I'm lazy like Shikamaru, so don't feel like looking it up, so therefore Sakura will just call Tsunade "Tsunade-sama" like almost everyone else.**

**Yes, there was a little bit of Sakura trying to flirt with Gaara in here. SasuNaru will be the main pairing of this fic, but ShikaMari (or ShikaTem if you prefer to see it that way XD) will also play a part, just like there will be some one sided NaruHina, KibaHina, possibly mention of ShinoKiba later...and most likely more that I just don't know as of yet. So be prepared for many different pairings coming into play. XD XD**

**Let's see...any other notes? Oh, as far as the bit with calling Juugo's thing a Curse Mark...I don't remember if they had a different description for it in the series or not, but it's all I could think of to call it. I know he doesn't technically have a _mark_, but he's what gave Orochimaru the idea for making Curse Marks. XD Was the fight scene okay? I really suck at writing fight scenes, so I don't know how good or bad this one was. I felt better about it, which probably means it was crap. XD Please let me know what you thought.**

**That's it for the notes, aside from this. Please review! I enjoy reviews...they make me a happy Llama Queen. XD If all goes well, then chapter 4 should be up very shortly, however you may have to wait til tomorrow if all doesn't go well, which it most likely won't. It never does when I type this sort of thing. XD Alright, that's that for that! I'll see you all next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alrighty, this chappie won't have nearly as long of an A/N at the beginning of it. XD One quick thing, though; I have no idea what suffixes certain people would use for certain other people (or if they even would use one) so I pretty much just make it up based on what I think that specific person would say. As far as Shikamaru's saying goes, I'm going to use the English dubbed version of what he says, because I think it sounds cooler. XD If you don't know what I mean, you will shortly. Now here we go!**

**Chapter 4**

A day or so later, there came a knock on Tsunade's office door. "Enter," she told whoever it was, looking up from the multitude of papers on the desk once the door opened. Her assistant, Shizune, walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Tsunade-sama," the raven haired woman said as she walked over to her master's desk, "this message came for you from the Kazekage." She handed Tsunade a rolled up piece of paper. The blonde woman grabbed it and read it quickly, face going from relieved to surprised to outraged in a matter of seconds. She looked up.

"Shizune!" she barked, and her astonished assistant stood completely straight.

"Y-yes, milady?" she replied.

"Fetch me Shikamaru, now!" she ordered.

"Y-yes, milady!" Shizune left hurriedly, and Tsunade looked down at Gaara's message again.

_Hokage-sama,_ it read,

_The team you sent out is on its way back to you, everything has been taken care of. The village is fine, and all of us are as well. However, Sakura-chan wishes me to inform you that Uchiha Sasuke was the leader of the team of Akatsuki members that came here, and also that Uzumaki Naruto was taken with the four of them when they left. Sakura-chan says that she and the other remaining two will give you a fuller explanation when they return, but you may want to send a team of trackers to find Uzumaki-kun before it's too late._

_Kazekage _

Tsunade re-read the letter three more times before another knock sounded at her door. "Enter," she called out, looking up.

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?"

"Ah, Shikamaru. Good." The lazy chuunin stood in front of Tsunade's desk, hands in his pockets. Tsunade thrust the letter in his direction. "Read this," she instructed, and Shikamaru sighed but did as he was told, eyes widening as he did.

"Let me guess," he said as he finished, handing it back. "You want me to get a team of trackers together to go after Naruto-kun."

Tsunade nodded. "That's exactly why I called you here."

Shikamaru sighed again. "Well, it'll be a drag, but I guess it has to be done. We can't let Naruto-kun be used by the Akatsuki. How much time do I have?"

"I want you and your team to meet me at the front entrance in one hour."

The Nara boy's eyes widened. "An hour?" he repeated. "Hokage-sama, that isn't going to be enough time...how many people do you want me to find?" he conceded, seeing the look on the Godaime's face.

"As many as you think you'll need. I'm leaving this completely up to you, just don't fail. You need to get Naruto back, do you hear me? I don't care what you do to Sasuke or the others he's with...Sasuke is part of the Akatsuki now, so kill them all if it's necessary, and don't listen to Naruto's protests." Tsunade sighed. "Now go; round up your team, and meet me at the front in an hour."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He turned and left, walking around the village to try and find people to take along. _What a drag,_ he thought as he walked.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Are we there yet?" Naruto complained.

"Hey, you shouldn't be complaining," Suigetsu said. "Just be thankful you don't have to walk. My feet are killing me."

"Honestly," Naruto said, "I'd rather be walking. At least that would give me something to do...I'm bored to death. Oi, Sasuke!" he called out. "How much longer til we get there?"

"So now you want to go?" Sasuke asked from up ahead. Naruto growled.

"No, of course not. Why would I want to die?"

"Then why did you ask?" Though Naruto couldn't see his face, he could tell that the Uchiha was smirking. He growled again.

"Stupid teme. I'm asking because I'm freaking bored!"

"If you're bored, talk to someone," Sasuke told him. "That'll keep you busy, and it's something you seem to like to do, too."

"Well, I would talk to someone," Naruto replied, "but apparently you told your goons not to talk to me."

Sasuke gave a small chuckle, causing Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu to all stop, eyes wide in shock.

"...did he just...?" Karin began. Suigetsu nodded slowly, eyes on their leader.

"I think he did," he replied. Sasuke kept walking, then stopped and turned.

"Hurry up," he commanded, all traces of amusement gone from his face. "We don't have time for you to stop every time I do something that surprises you. I suppose you three can talk to the dobe if you have to, just don't let it slow you down." With that, he turned again and kept walking. After a moment, his "goons" – as Naruto called them – followed, Juugo still carrying Naruto over his shoulder.

"So why do you guys hang around with this teme, anyways?" Naruto asked of his captors.

"I don't have much of a choice," Juugo replied. "Sasuke-kun is the only person who can keep my urges to kill in check. Without him...well, I'm not nearly this calm. Especially with these two around, bickering all the time," he added, gesturing with one hand to Karin and Suigetsu.

"...oh," Naruto said simply, not quite sure how to take that. "Umm...well, what about you other guys?"

"I'm just waiting for another opportunity to fight and kill Kisame-senpai," Suigetsu said, grinning at Naruto. "I want his sword."

Naruto blinked. "What, Zabuza's sword isn't good enough for you or something?" he asked, and Suigetsu laughed.

"Nope," he replied. "I want Samehada way more than this piece of crap. Oh yeah, that reminds me. How do you know Zabuza-senpai?"

Naruto shrugged as best as he could in his current situation. "My team and I fought him a bit, my sensei most of all. We watched him get killed."

"I guess that makes sense," Suigetsu said thoughtfully. "I know that Sasuke-kun was part of the team that fought Zabuza-senpai, and if you were on Sasuke-kun's team, then of course that's how you knew the guy."

Naruto glanced over at Karin. Juugo was holding him so that his legs were down the big man's back, and Naruto could face the front.

"And you?" he asked the red haired girl. "You tell me what your story is, and I'll see if it matches what I think your story is."

Karin glared at him. "You don't even know me, how can you possibly guess at my story?"

"Well, judging by the way you look at 'Sasuke-kun' and the way you say his name, my guess would be that you're exactly the same as pretty much every dumb girl in Konoha. You're 'madly in love' with the teme without caring how much of a jerk he is, or what his deal is. You're one of the girls who take one look at him and go all 'Eeeh, he's so dreamy' with not one thought of how he feels about girls like that, how much they annoy him." Naruto grinned at Karin's expression – it seemed he'd hit it dead on. "Honestly," he continued, "there are girls in Konoha that are ten times prettier than you who have tried to get Sasuke's attention, and not one of them succeeded. What makes you think you will?"

Karin flushed bright red. "B-baka!" she exclaimed, looking up ahead to see if Sasuke was listening. It was obvious he was. She blushed deeper. "That's not it at all! I'm just with Sauske-kun because it's convenient for me!"

Naruto snorted. "Convenient in that you get to look at Sasuke's ass all the time," he said, and Suigetsu laughed.

"Oh, he got you good," the white haired ninja said, causing Karin's face to grow redder.

"Shut up!" she exclaimed. "You don't know what you're talking about, Suigetsu! And neither do you," she added, glaring at Naruto. The blonde Jinchuuriki just laughed.

"Sure I don't," he said with a grin. None of them said a word for a few minutes, until Suigetsu complained again.

"Seriously, though, can we stop soon, Sasuke-kun? My feet are killing me."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

An hour after Shikamaru had spoken with Tsunade, he was waiting at the front gate of Konoha, along with the team he chose specifically for this mission.

"Naruto is such an idiot," Kiba lamented, sitting on Akamaru's back as always. "Only he would let himself get caught like that. I certainly never would."

"K-kiba-kun," Hinata stuttered, "y-you shouldn't say such mean things about Naruto-kun. H-he was probably just surprised to see Sasuke-kun, and didn't get a chance to fight back."

Kiba narrowed his eyes at his female teammate. "Or maybe he was just too chicken," the dog lover said. Since the fight with Pein – and Hinata's confession to Naruto – Kiba had been acting rather rude to the Hyuuga girl.

"Both of you simmer down," Shino said. "Hinata is probably right, Kiba. I'm sure Naruto-kun was surprised at finding Sasuke there, which is why he didn't put up enough of a fight to escape." He paused. "That, or maybe Sasuke is just that powerful now."

"Well, I hope for our sake it's the first one," Shikamaru said.

"I, for one, would not mind if it were the second," Lee said with a grin. "I would like a chance to test my skills against such a worthy opponent as that."

"Yeah, well, not everyone's itching for a fight like you are," Kiba said.

At that moment, Tsunade walked up, looking at each of the shinobi standing there, then at Shikamaru. "Is this the team you've chosen?" she asked. Shikamaru nodded.

"Hinata, Kiba, and Shino for their skill as trackers, and Lee because he refused to be left behind," he explained.

Tsunade nodded. "If you run into Kakashi's team along the way, you might want to stop briefly and get the whole story from them."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. I already thought about that. Also, I'll be asking Sai if he feels up to coming along, because he could be useful as a tracker as well."

"Good. Okay, the five of you know our mission, correct?" Tsunade asked, and all of Shikamaru's team nodded in affirmation. "I expect reports as often as possible, especially if you get Sai on your team. Now go!"

The five shinobi took off.

"Kiba, Akamaru," Shikamaru said as they ran. "Do you guys need something with Naruto-kun's scent in order to find him?"

Akamaru barked and Kiba grinned. "Nah, we could find his scent anywhere."

"Okay, then I want the two of you at the front to lead us." There was a flash of white and black, and then Akamaru was right in front of Shikamaru, Kiba riding on his back. "Shino, can you send some insects up ahead to warn us of other people?" In response, a small cloud of bugs raced forward, disappearing into the distance. "Good. Okay, I need Lee right behind me, Shino behind Lee, and Hinata at the back. Hinata, you need to use your Byakugan to be looking all around at all times. Got it?"

There was a flurry of movement as everyone got into their assigned position, and then a chorus of "Yes" to say they all understood.

"This is almost total deja vu," Kiba commented, "only last time, we actually had Naruto...and we also had Chouji and Neji. Hey, why aren't they here this time?"

"Chouji needs time in the village to spend with his mom, and comfort her after his dad's death," Shikamaru replied.

"And Neji is not here because he is on some special jounin mission, along with Gai-sensei," Lee said.

"Well, at least we have another Hyuuga to replace Neji," Shino commented, glancing behind him at Hinata. "And I'm on the team this time...to make up for the fact I was left out last time."

Kiba groaned. "Are you ever going to stop sulking about that?" he asked.

"Shino," Shikamaru said, "you weren't 'left out' last time. If I had my way, you would have been along as well, but you were on a mission with your dad, so I couldn't even ask you."

"This way!" Kiba exclaimed as Akamaru barked in agreement, and they turned suddenly, jumping through the trees. Everyone else followed as quickly as they could, and the chase was on.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Break time is over," Sasuke told his team, and Suigetsu groaned.

"Oh, come on, can't we have just a little bit longer?" he pleaded. Sasuke shot him a look.

"We had a half hour break, Suigetsu, a much longer break than I would have liked to give you."

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're being pretty snippy right now."

"We're moving too slowly," Sasuke replied.

"Oh, well if that's your problem, then why don't you undo the ropes on my hands and feet? I'm sure we'd go faster without my weight slowing Juugo down."

"You're not slowing me down," the big man assured him.

"Even so," Naruto said, "it'd be nice to actually get to move."

Sasuke snorted. "And let you escape when we're not paying attention? I don't think so."

"Stupid teme, why would I escape? I don't know where the hell we are, or where we're going, so I might end up going a quicker way to wherever if I don't just get totally lost."

"He has a point, Sasuke-kun," Suigetsu said. "Only an idiot would try to run off in an unfamiliar area."

"Well, Naruto is an idiot," Sasuke replied, "so I wouldn't put it past him."

"If it makes you feel better, you can keep my hands tied so it's harder to run, and also so I can't use any jutsu," Naruto suggested.

"I don't see a problem with it, Sasuke-kun," Juugo said. "We could put him in front of me so I could stop him if he tried to escape."

Sasuke sighed. "Fine, but if he does get away, I'm holding you accountable, Juugo."

Naruto grinned, looking up at Juugo in silent thanks. The big man nodded, both in acceptance of what Sasuke said and in acknowledgment of Naruto's thanks.

"Karin, untie the dobe's legs," Sasuke ordered.

"Why don't you just do it yourself, teme, instead of making everyone else do it for you?" Naruto asked. "This whole time I've been your captive, I've barely seen you do anything on your own, aside from actually capturing me in the first place, and then grabbing me for Karin to tie up a little later. Aside from that, you're always making these three do everything, then wonder why it doesn't happen quite to your liking. Haven't you ever heard the saying 'If you want something done right, you've gotta do it yourself'?"

"Don't make me put a gag in your mouth," Sasuke warned.

"But would you really do it? Or would you make one of your 'teammates' do it for you?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "Karin, untie him before I change my mind."

"You mean change your mind as in actually do it yourself?" Naruto challenged.

"Shut up, dobe! Karin, just do it!"

"You don't have to obey everything the teme says, Karin," Naruto told the redhead. "If you stop being such a pushover, he'll have more respect for you as a person...and it might actually give you a chance of him liking you."

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled at him. "Karin, ignore the dobe and do as I say!"

Karin was looking between the two boys, unsure of which one to obey. Finally she sighed and knelt down, untying Naruto's legs. Naruto sighed as well as Juugo helped him up, and Sasuke smirked in triumph before turning away and walking off.

"Let's go," was all he said.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

A few bugs came buzzing over to Shino, who caught them on an outstretched finger. "There are people up ahead," he said simply.

Akamaru barked. "Yeah, we smell them," Kiba said with a grin.

"Who is it?" Shikamaru asked, suddenly glad that Lee was coming too, that way he wasn't the only one out of the loop.

"It's Kakashi-sensei's team!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Excellent," Shikamaru said. "We must be on the right track if we've run into them."

The group of five had to go only a little further before they could all see the three figures headed their way. The two teams stopped just in front of each other.

"I take it this means Tsunade-sama got our message," Kakashi said as Shikamaru stepped out beside Kiba and Akamaru.

"Yep," Shikamaru said. "I put this team together to try and find Naruto-kun." He looked at the black haired member of the trio. "Sai, are you terribly tired, or are you able to join us?"

"I'm okay to join," Sai replied, walking over to stand beside Shikamaru.

"Sakura-chan," Lee said, stepping out of the formation, "would you tell us the full story of what happened?"

Sakura sighed and told them everything, including the part where she just stood there and basically let Sasuke take Naruto.

Once she was done, Shikamaru sighed. "That doesn't tell us what Sasuke can do, though I suppose the other three's abilities are good to know as well. Thanks. And don't worry, Sakura-chan, we'll bring Naruto-kun back."

Sakura gave a small smile. "That's exactly what Naruto said about Sasuke-kun," she noted.

"Except that we will actually succeed," Shino said. Sakura just nodded.

"Well, we should be on our way," Shikamaru said, then looked at Sai. "Is it possible for you to draw out a bird or something with wings that would be big enough to carry all of us?" he asked. Sai thought for a moment.

"I can try," he said, pulling out his scroll and paintbrush. Moments later, there was a rush of feathers, and a huge bird came flying off the page. Sakura and Kakashi ran off with a final "Good luck", and Shikamaru looked at the bird.

"Kiba and Akamaru stay down here and run as fast as you possibly can," he said. "Keep going after Naruto-kun's scent. Everyone else, climb aboard. Shino, send some more bugs out, and Hinata, keep your eyes peeled."

Shikamaru, Sai, Lee, Shino, and Hinata all climbed on Sai's bird, while Kiba and Akamaru stayed on the ground, and the whole group moved ahead to continue their search for Naruto.

**There! I actually got it up tonight! Woo hoo! But I don't feel like proof reading it...I just want the damn thing posted already. XD So I apologize for any typos that may or may not have occurred in this chapter. This marks the end of full chapters I've got written out. I hope this and the last one made up for no updates for a week...I have no idea how soon I'll be able to update again. But until then...REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, sorry about the wait, guys. This was kind of a difficult chapter for me to figure out. But now the hardest part is over, and hopefully updates will come quicker after this! Except for the fact that school starts next week...meh. It's never stopped me before! I noticed that I made a mistake in my last chapter...I said that Chouji wasn't coming along because he was spending time with his mom, comforting her after his dad's death. I totally forgot that his dad's not dead now, and I read the manga! Ah well. I don't really feel like going back to change it, so just pretend that it said Chouji was on a mission with his dad or something like that. The real reason for him not being there is because I can't really figure out Chouji's character well enough to write him. It would have been easy before Shippuden, but now...he doesn't show up enough for me to be able to figure him out. XD So sit back and relax, because here's the latest chapter of AFAaKHP! Yes, that is the acronym for this fic.**

**Chapter 5**

"So...where are we going, anyway?" Naruto asked, jogging up slightly to walk right beside Sasuke.

"Dobe. We're taking you to the rest of the Akatsuki, where else?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I knew that, teme. When I said 'where', I was referring to the actual location."

"You'll see when we get there," Sasuke replied.

"Uh huh. And how much longer til we get 'there'?"

"At this pace...probably another two or three days."

"Then why are we walking? Don't you just want to dump me at their feet and walk off?" Naruto was looking at the Uchiha beside him as they walked. Sasuke took a while to answer this time.

"We're walking so Suigetsu can keep up at least somewhat," he said finally, ignoring Naruto's second question.

Naruto didn't miss this. "But if you had your way, you'd teleport me there or something, drop me at the Akatsuki's feet, and call it a day, am I right?" he asked bitterly.

Sasuke gave him a sideways glance. "Why does it matter to you so much?" he asked.

"Because it's you, Sasuke. I used to know you so well, but now...well, I still know you a bit, but it's like you're a whole different person. Or, at least, you're pretending to be."

"You're lucky it's me, dobe," Sasuke informed him. "If it were any other Akatsuki member taking you back, you wouldn't be conscious right now, let alone walking beside your captor."

"Then why are you letting me, teme?" Naruto asked. "If you want to be like the Akatsuki, want to be one of them, you can hardly show this much mercy. Unless..."

"Don't go thinking I'm doing this because of any fond feelings towards you, Naruto," Sasuke interrupted, eyes pointed straight ahead, "because you'd be dead wrong. You're awake because I know you won't stay unconscious for long, and I don't feel like stopping every half hour to knock you out again, and you're walking here because I don't want to listen to you blather on and on about wanting to move. And for the record, I don't want to be like the Akatsuki in any way. The whole organization is horrible, and I'm only using them for my own purposes."

"Your own purposes?" Naruto repeated. "Like what?"

"I don't need to tell a dobe like you what my plans are," the Uchiha replied. "Just know that I'm not stupid enough to let the Akatsuki control me."

"Hey, wait a minute, I just thought of something," Naruto said. "If I was your target all along, why did you attack Suna? Why not just come straight to Konoha?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious?"

Naruto blinked. "No, not really."

"If we'd gone straight to Konoha, they would have put you somewhere else to keep you safe, then lied to you about why you were there. But if we attacked Suna, they'd be sure to call on Konoha shinobi for backup. You'd almost definitely be one of the ones called, and that 'almost definitely' turned into 'definitely' when taking into account the fact that Sabaku no Gaara is the Kazekage. What better way to capture you than to make you think you were helping a friend?"

"So...you guys were just using Gaara? You had no intention of doing anything to him, he was just an unknowing and unwilling pawn in your sick game?"

"I already told you, Naruto, I'm with the Akatsuki to use them to my advantage. I have no interest in their goals, and so I am not in any way a part of their 'sick game' as you so aptly put it. But in answer to your question, yes. What use could the Akatsuki possibly have of Gaara now? The Ichibi is already in their possession, and that was the only reason the Akatsuki wanted him in the first place."

Naruto growled. "I hate it when people use my friends," he said. Sasuke laughed humourlessly.

"What are you going to do about it?" he asked. "Madara is the one who came up with the plan, and is also the one who told my team to come get you, rather than doing it himself. You can't even beat me in battle; what makes you think you'd survive an encounter with him?"

Naruto growled again, louder this time. "I will defeat him for what he's done to Gaara, and to you. I don't care what it takes, I'll do it!"

Sasuke laughed again. "For what he's done to me? He's done nothing to me, except tell me the truth about my brother and my cursed clan. It was thanks to him that I realized my new goal."

"Hey, Sasuke? Will you tell me what you mean by 'the truth about your brother'? You said you would before."

"I said I might tell you if you behaved. While you haven't exactly behaved to my liking, I know you won't shut up about it until I tell you, and we still have a long way to go, so I may as well."

Naruto grinned as Sasuke began the story.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akamaru barked loudly and sped up. At a nod from Shikamaru, Sai brought his giant bird close to the ground.

"Did you find him?" Shikamaru asked Kiba.

"Yep, and his scent is moving slowly, so we'll definitely be able to catch up," Kiba said with a grin.

Akamaru whined. "What is it, boy?" Kiba asked, turning his attention to his dog. Akamaru barked a couple times.

"Something wrong?" Shikamaru asked. Kiba looked up.

"Two of the people with Naruto have really high chakra levels," Kiba informed him.

"High enough that we won't be able to stop them?" Shino asked.

"Nonsense!" Lee said. "No matter how strong our opponents are, we can take them! We have the power of youth on our side!"

Everyone more or less ignored Lee's statement. "I'm not sure, Shino," Kiba replied. "I don't know if they're too powerful for us or not. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out."

"I see them!" Hinata exclaimed.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Karin stopped, sniffing the air, and causing Suigetsu to walk into her.

"What the hell?" Suigetsu exclaimed. "Why did you stop?"

Karin's eyes widened. "Sasuke-kun!" she called out. Her leader stopped, as did Naruto, and both looked at the group's only female. Juugo had stopped as well.

"What is it, Karin?" Sasuke asked in a tone that suggested he couldn't care less.

Karin composed herself before speaking. "They've found us already," she replied.

"They?" Naruto repeated. "Who's 'they'?"

"Konoha shinobi?" Suigetsu asked, "Or Suna shinobi?"

Naruto's eyes widened.

"I don't know," Karin said, shaking her head. "But whoever it is, there sure are a lot of them."

"How many is 'a lot'?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Umm..." Karin closed her eyes and concentrated. "One...two...three...four...five...six...seven. There are seven of them," she said finally, opening her eyes.

"Seven?" Suigetsu exclaimed. He looked at Sasuke. "Well? Are we going to run, or stay and try to fight?"

Sasuke stood there silently, debating for a moment. "We'll stay," he said finally. "Suna or Konoha, they won't give up until we fight them. If we run, they follow, and we risk leading them right to the current Akatsuki hideout. Karin, Juugo, Suigetsu, hold Naruto down and tie him up again."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. "You're going to tie me up after letting me go for so long?"

"Think about it, dobe," Sasuke said. "If the ninja after us are from Konohagakure, then you could easily just side with them and turn against us, which I don't doubt you would. If they're from Sunagakure, same thing. Either way, it's in our best interest to tie you up and be sure you won't be able to fight."

"Well, if you're going to tie me up," Naruto said, glaring at Sasuke, "at least do it yourself for once."

"I don't have time to argue with you right now, Naruto," Sasuke said in exasperation.

"Then tie me up yourself," Naruto said.

Sasuke glanced at his teammates, who stepped forward. Juugo tackled Naruto, who fought back, and then he and Suigetsu held the Jinchuuriki down while Karin quickly tied him up. Naruto glared up at Sasuke.

"You damn teme," Naruto spat. He heard a dog bark and looked toward the sound, squinting against the sun. He could see a white dot with something tall and dark on top of it. His face lit up. "KIBA! AKAMARU! OVER HERE!" he yelled.

The dot came closer. As everyone's attention was on Kiba and Akamaru, they failed to notice the rest of the search team fly in on Sai's bird.

"Naruto-kun!" Shikamaru called out as he and his team jumped off Sai's bird and rushed forward.

"Triangle!" Sasuke ordered, kicking Naruto around so the Jinchuuriki was right beneath Sasuke's feet. Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo formed a triangle around the two ninja.

"N-naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, seeing Sasuke's treatment of him. She started forward and Shikamaru put a hand on her shoulder.

"Stick with the plan, Hinata," he said. She bit her lip, then nodded quietly.

"So it was Konoha shinobi following us," Juugo noted.

"Would you have rathered Suna shinobi?" Suigetsu asked.

"Actually, I think I would have," Juugo replied.

By this point, Kiba and Akamaru had caught up to everyone else.

"Naruto, you idiot, why'd you go and get yourself captured?" Kiba asked. Naruto looked up and scowled.

"It's not like I did it on purpose," he said. "I didn't ask to be a damsel in distress."

Kiba laughed. "Well, we'll get you out of this mess, don't you worry."

"You don't actually think you can win this fight, do you?" Sasuke asked, looking straight at Kiba. Akamaru growled in his master's defense.

"Hell yeah, I do," Kiba replied. "There are seven of us, and only four of you. No matter how powerful you are, we'll kick your asses!"

"Shut up, Kiba," Shikamaru said. "If we can avoid fighting at all, that would be ideal."

Sasuke gave a dry laugh. "If you think I'm going to just hand Naruto over to you, you're insane. You want him, you'll have to fight for him."

"Then fight, we shall!" Lee exclaimed, rushing forward eagerly. Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

"Juugo, take care of this clown," the Uchiha ordered, and Juugo's large fist came flying at Lee, hitting him right in the gut. Juugo then picked Lee up and threw him away from everyone.

"BUSHY BROW!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to wriggle free of his bonds. Sasuke kicked him.

"Shut up, dobe, and don't move," he ordered. Naruto snarled at him.

"Damn teme! Quit telling me what to do! Now untie me so I can fight you too!"

"If I untie you," Sasuke replied, "you'll just join up with the other Konoha shinobi and escape. I told you this already, you're staying tied up."

Shikamaru yawned. "If avoiding a fight is impossible, then let's at least stop the chatter and get it over with." At that moment, Lee came running back up. "Good," Shikamaru said, "Lee is back. Okay, everyone, we're going with plan B." The other six members of his team – Akamaru included – nodded, then formed a circle around Sasuke's team, with Lee standing directly behind Sasuke, and Hinata in front of him.

"You're all going to die," Sasuke informed them. "If you insist on going up against us, you will die." As if to prove his point, he activated his Sharingan.

"Oh, can it, Sasuke," Kiba said. "I've had enough of your cocky yapping." Akamaru barked in agreement. The two of them rushed forward to try and get in the gap between Juugo and Karin, but Juugo blocked them. Just as he was about to send them flying, however, Shikamaru caught the big man in a Shadow Possession Jutsu.

Hinata ran up and started fighting with Karin. The red haired kunoichi was really no match for Hinata, though she tried. Shino fought with Suigetsu, and Lee ran in to fight Sasuke.

"I have been wanting a rematch with you for a very long time," Lee informed the Uchiha.

"Well, you'll just have to wait longer," Sasuke replied. "I'm not stupid. The moment I move away from Naruto to fight you, someone's going to sneak up behind me and grab him, am I right?" Before Lee could reply to that, Juugo managed to break free of Shikamaru's jutsu. He then turned around and transformed his arms into their Second State form, grabbing Lee and throwing him against the side of a nearby cliff. Juugo turned again, just in time to see one of Sai's lions charging at him. Once it was within his arms' reach, he squashed it and made it splatter ink everywhere.

Kiba and Akamaru tried to sneak around behind Sasuke to get to Naruto, but the Uchiha spotted them.

_Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!_ Sasuke thought, hitting both Kiba and Akamaru.

"Kiba! Akamaru!" Naruto and Shikamaru exclaimed simultaneously. Just then, Karin shrieked, drawing everyone's attention.

Karin was laying on the ground, blood trickling out of the sides of her mouth and both lenses of her glasses cracked. Hinata was crouched over top her, breathing heavily, arms extended.

"Do it, Hinata," Shino told his teammate. "Finish her."

"Karin, move!" Suigetsu yelled. "Do you want to be killed?"

Neither kunoichi responded, both just looking at each other with wide eyes.

"I-I...I can't do it," Hinata said, stepping away from Karin. The black haired girl turned around, and Karin shakily got to her feet, moving towards Hinata with a kunai in her hand.

"Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed, and ran over, tackling Karin and slitting her throat. Hinata turned with a gasp.

"KARIN!" Suigetsu yelled, running over. He pushed Kiba away and knelt beside his female teammate, eyes wide. "Karin, hang on! You've got to hold on!"

Karin looked at him. "Suigetsu..." she whispered, and the white haired ninja leaned forward to hear her better. "You...idiot. Forget about...me...don't let them...get...Naruto..." With that, the red haired girl's body went limp. Suigetsu looked up at Kiba, hatred and rage filling his eyes.

"You bastard!" he yelled. "I'll kill you for that!" He started forward, then Sasuke was in his way, stopping him.

"No, Suigetsu," the Uchiha said simply yet forcefully. Suigetsu glared at his leader.

"You're defending him? After he killed Karin?"

"I told you to avoid killing anyone."

"HE KILLED KARIN! You expect me to let that go?"

"No, but you can't kill him," Sasuke replied.

"And why not?" Suigetsu spat. "So you can kill him yourself when you destroy Konoha? Or are you planning on switching back to them?"

"Hey, teme!" Naruto called, saving Sasuke from having to reply to Suigetsu. Both ninja turned around to see Naruto standing up, ropes off. A very beat up Lee stood beside him, holding onto the ropes that were previously around Naruto's wrists and ankles. "You might want to keep a closer eyes on your captive next time."

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed. "But how did...how did you even get over here so quickly?" he asked, looking at Lee. "Juugo threw you pretty far!"

Lee shrugged. "I took off the weights around my legs, then waited until all of you were distracted."

"Okay, we've got Naruto-kun," Shikamaru said, "so let's go. Sai, make a giant bird again." Sai nodded and started drawing.

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed. "What about Sasuke? We're bringing him too, aren't we?"

"Tsunade-sama said to bring you," Shikamaru replied. "She also said that she doesn't care what happens to Sasuke, and that if necessary, we can kill him."

"Well, if she doesn't care what happens to him, then it should be fine to bring him back," Naruto reasoned, ignoring what Shikamaru said about killing Sasuke.

"I suppose..." Shikamaru replied.

"I'm not coming," Sasuke said. "You guys can find loopholes in the Hokage's orders all you want, but I'm not going back to Konoha."

"Oh, come on," Naruto pleaded. "You don't have that creep, Orochimaru, keeping you away any more, and you said yourself that you're not letting the Akatsuki tie you down, so..."

"Did you not listen to anything I said, dobe?" Sasuke asked in exasperation. "Or do you just have selective hearing? Yes, I said that. But I also said that Konoha's 'system' is corrupt. I hate them for what they did to my clan, for what they did to my brother. Why the hell would I want to go back there?"

"Sasuke, please. You have to come back. I've been trying to get you to come back since you left. I know that the village isn't the same, it doesn't hold much of anything for you any more, and your perspective on everything has changed, but the one thing that's still the same is that I still want you to come back. Please, Sasuke, please come with us."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, his expression unreadable. The two of them just looked at each other for a while, Naruto silently pleading with Sasuke, before Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not coming back, Naruto."

Naruto's face fell, then he looked at Shikamaru pleadingly. The Nara boy sighed heavily. "Fine. Hinata, come here a minute." The black haired girl did so, standing right beside Shikamaru. He whispered something in her ear and she nodded resolutely. She then rushed forward and started hitting certain chakra points in Sasuke's body. The Uchiha was shocked, and so didn't move out of the way in time. He fell to the ground, unable to move his arms or legs.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed.

"D-don't worry, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, giving the boy she loved a small smile. "I only made it so he can't escape."

"Lee," Shikamaru said, "go tie Sasuke up with that rope." Lee nodded and did what he was told.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked Shikamaru.

"Isn't it obvious?" the Nara boy replied with a grin. "We're taking Sasuke back with us."

Naruto grinned widely, punching the sky. "Yes!" he cried out.

"Sai, make that bird a bit bigger than last time," Shikamaru said as Lee walked over with the bound Sasuke over his shoulder. Sai did as he was told, and all of Shikamaru's team, plus Naruto and Sasuke, were on Sai's bird, headed for Konoha.

Suigetsu glared up at the drawn bird as it flew off. "I will kill that kid," he vowed, "no matter what anyone says."

**There you go! Wow, it certainly felt like it was a lot longer when I wrote it out...probably because it took me so damn long to write. XP But yay! Now I'll get to have more fun, because Sasuke's headed back to Konoha! Against his will, maybe, but that's not the point. And yay! Another bit of plot! And there will be another beginning of a plot at the beginning of next chapter...I _could_ technically put it here, buuuut...I want to leave this chapter on as happy a note as I can (HINT HINT) while still giving a bit of a cliffie to show you guys that this isn't the end, nor is it anywhere near the end.**

**I had the idea of killing off Karin a while back, but I hadn't realized at that time that it would provide me with a plot idea. XP I mean, here I was thinking, "Yeah, okay, so Sasuke ends up somehow going back to Konoha, and...random stuff happens? Then that's the end? I don't like that...but I can't think of any other plot to put in here, so I guess that's what it'll be." Then I took into account how Suigetsu would react to Karin being killed, and BOOM, plot idea! Then, of course, there's my other idea, which will become mostly known at the beginning of next chapter...which I will write as soon as I can, because now it's getting amusing! This will be fun...beware: there will be a CRAPLOAD of Sakura bashing coming up...tee hee hee. Oh, and a teensy bit of Lee bashing, if you can call it that...I don't really call it that, though, seeing as I do like Lee, it's just way too much fun to write him, and I might get a bit out of control. XP**

**Holy crap, long A/N...I suppose I'd better shut up now before I give away too much about future plots. Anyway, please review! Feed the review monster! OM NOM NOM!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize in advance for the ending. I promise you it's necessary!**

**Enough of the (slight) spoiler...most of this chapter was a lot of fun to write, though looking back on the whole thing, it seems kinda short...ah well. Once again, it just seemed a good place to end it. Be happy I dragged the ending out a bit...I was originally going to cut it off earlier. I'll explain more at the end. Shikamaru is a little bit OOC later on, and Sakura is as well. I apologize. XP In any case, enjoy! Oh, and I always forget if Zetsu refers to "himself" as "we" or "I"...so just because I say so, it's "we".**

**Chapter 6**

"Is that so?" Madara asked, and Zetsu nodded.

"We saw and heard it all," the black half said.

"It seems that Sasuke-kun has screwed up again," the white half said with a grin.

"I knew Sasuke-kun was only in this organization for himself," Madara informed Zetsu. "Why else do you think neither he nor the others in his group were given rings? But now he's not only failed to bring me the Hachibi, he's also failed in bringing the Kyuubi, which he insisted he be the one to capture, and he's let himself get taken by Konoha shinobi..."

"What are you going to do about him?" Zetsu's black half asked.

"Anything we can help with?" the white half added.

"I'll have to think about this for a while," Madara replied, "but I'll come up with something."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Just what are you all planning to do once you take me back to Konoha?" Sasuke asked as he and the others flew on Sai's bird.

"Well, the first thing will be to take you directly to Hokage-sama," Shikamaru replied. "What we do with you next will be her choice."

"Great," Sasuke said sarcastically. "And if she decides that I should be killed?"

"Then that's what-" Shikamaru began, but Naruto interrupted him.

"I'll argue with her until she changes her mind," the blonde said. "I won't let anybody kill you, Sasuke. I don't care what I have to do, I'll do it."

Everyone went silent, not knowing how to respond to that.

"Dobe," Sasuke said after a while. "I don't need you to protect me. You think I'd actually let myself get killed?"

"You did let yourself get captured," Shino pointed out.

"I...she caught me off guard," Sasuke replied. "The Hinata I remember never did stuff like that."

"Yeah, well, she's changed a lot in the past three years," Kiba said. "We all have. And you might want to be a bit more grateful to Naruto, seeing as he's the only one stopping the rest of us from just killing you. He's the only reason you're alive."

Sasuke was silent for another long while.

"Sai, isn't there any way to make this thing go faster?" Naruto asked. "I'm bored."

"Not unless you want to fall off," Sai answered. "There isn't anything to hold onto."

Naruto groaned. "It'll take forever to get to Konoha at this rate!" he exclaimed.

"Be happy we're not on foot," Kiba said with a grin. "The only one of us who could make it back quicker running than flying is Lee."

"I could most definitely do that!" Lee announced. "If you let me off here, I can prove it to you!"

Shikamaru just sighed and put his head in his hands. "This is such a drag," he said, mostly to himself. "I've got three loudmouths to deal with..."

"You know," Sasuke said, "it sounds to me like you guys haven't changed quite as much as you think."

"Hey, shut up!" Kiba said. "You're our prisoner, you shouldn't even be talking to us!"

"Don't talk to Sasuke like that!" Naruto said indignantly. "He was actually fairly nice to me, even though I was his prisoner, so we should be nice to him too."

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke said. "I don't need you to defend me. And I don't want the whole world to know that I was decent to you when I should have been completely merciless."

"You damn teme," Naruto growled. "What, you think that your reputation as a total asshole would be ruined if people knew you can be a nice guy? Well guess what? It's too late. I've known for a while that you can be nice if you want to."

Shikamaru sighed again. "This is going to be a long trip."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After a day and a bit of travel, the group finally reached Konoha. The bird landed, and then disappeared.

"Okay, Lee, you carry Sasuke in," Shikamaru said. The energetic teen nodded and picked up the protesting Uchiha, carrying him towards the entrance to Konoha. The others followed.

Kotetsu and Izumo both looked up in surprise as the group of shinobi strolled through the village gates. They stood and walked over, standing right in front of the others.

"Whoa, hold on," Kotetsu said, putting a hand out to stop them. "Is that...Lee, who is that over your shoulder?"

Naruto grinned. "I told you guys I'd bring Sasuke back," he said before Lee could say anything. Kotetsu and Izumo just stood there, too shocked to respond.

"We're headed up to the Hokage's office," Shikamaru informed the two guards. They nodded and let the large group pass.

Once they got to the door of Tsunade's office, Shikamaru stopped. "Okay, not all of us can go in there," he said, looking at everyone. "I'm the leader on this mission, so I should be there. Kiba and Akamaru, you take up too much space. Shino...hey, where did Shino go?"

"He took off practically right after we got back, Kiba replied with a shrug. "I figured you would have noticed by now."

Shikamaru sighed. "Well, in any case, Hinata and Lee, could the two of you wait as well?"

Hinata nodded silently. "What should I do with Sasuke-kun?" Lee asked.

"Give him to me," Naruto replied, taking Sasuke from Lee.

The door banged open, and Tsunade stood there, taking in the scene in front of her.

"Ts-Tsunade-sama," Shikamaru said. "How long were you..."

"What you fail to realize, Shikamaru," Tsunade said, staring at the Nara boy, "is that my door isn't soundproof. I could hear you guys talking out here, and I think I need an explanation. Shikamaru, Sai, and Naruto, come in here now...and bring Uchiha Sasuke with you."

The three teens did as they were told, and Tsunade closed the door, then sat in her chair. Naruto put the still bound Sasuke on the floor. Sasuke refused to look at anyone.

Tsunade stared at the four boys in front of her for a long while. "Explanation. Now." She looked directly at Shikamaru. "Why is Sasuke here?"

"Well, Tsunade-sama, Naruto-kun wouldn't let us leave without him, so Hinata incapacitated him and Lee tied him up," Shikamaru replied.

"Didn't I tell you not to listen to anything Naruto said, and to get him back by any means necessary?" Tsunade asked.

"Well, yes, but this was necessary," Shikamaru told her. "Naruto-kun probably wouldn't have agreed to come back without Sasuke, no matter what any of us said, so in a way, I was still following your orders."

The Godaime sighed and rubbed her face. "Naruto," she said, looking up at her favourite shinobi, "how are you? Are you injured?" Naruto blinked in surprise at the question.

"Umm...no, I'm fine," he replied, and Tsunade nodded.

"Good. You may leave, then."

"Hold on a sec," the blonde boy said, "I want to know what's going to happen to Sasuke."

"I haven't decided yet," Tsunade said, "though I suppose the smart move would be to send him to Ibiki and the Interrogation Squad to see what he can tell us about the Akatsuki."

"I won't tell you anything," Sasuke said, looking up at Tsunade for the first time since he was dragged into the room. Tsunade smirked.

"I doubt you'll be saying that for long once Ibiki gets his hands on you," she said. "And if that doesn't work, there's always Inoichi."

"What are you going to do after that?" Naruto asked, and Tsunade looked at him.

"Naruto, what do you think is going to happen? Uchiha Sasuke betrayed Konoha. He joined forces with Orochimaru, an S-rank criminal, and then with the Akatsuki, a group of S-rank criminals. Once we extract all the information we can from him, he'll have to be killed."

"NO!" Naruto yelled. "I won't let you do that, Grandma Tsunade! You can have him interrogated, but I won't let you kill him!"

"You really don't have a say in the matter, Naruto," Tsunade informed the Jinchuuriki.

"If you have Sasuke killed," Naruto threatened, "then I'll...I'll...I'll go hand myself over to the Akatsuki!"

"You will do no such thing!" Tsunade exclaimed, standing up and slamming her hands on her desk. "If you do that, then the Akatsuki will have won, and we can't afford for them to win. Besides, it would kill you."

"That's kind of the point," Naruto said.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "So you would throw away your entire life for this criminal? What about your dreams? You still want to be Hokage, don't you?"

"Sasuke is not a criminal. He's my best friend, and he once said it perfectly; how can I hope to be Hokage if I can't even save one friend?"

"And what about the rest of your friends? Did you even think of them when you made this plan? How do you think they'd feel if you purposely got yourself killed for the sake of one person who probably doesn't even care if you die for him?"

Naruto glared at her. "That's not the point! The point is that I won't let you send Sasuke off to his death!"

Tsunade sighed heavily and sat back down. "What other options are there, though?" she asked. "I can't let him roam free around Konoha, that's too dangerous. It would be counter productive to kick him out of the village again after you guys just brought him back here..."

"Well," Naruto said, "you can let me handle him. Let him live with me, for a little while at least, and I'll prove to you all that he's not the criminal you seem to think he is."

Tsunade was silent for a moment, contemplating it. "You'll take full responsibility for anything and everything he does?" she asked. Naruto grinned.

"Yes, of course!" he said excitedly, knowing he was on the verge of winning.

Shikamaru looked at the Hokage in surprise. "Tsunade-sama, you aren't really thinking of going along with this crazy plan, are you?"

"Actually," Tsunade said, "yes I am. I'll tell you what, Naruto; I will consider what you've said, and in the meantime, Uchiha Sasuke will be taken in for interrogation. You will be notified once that is done and I have made my decision."

Naruto nodded. "Okay."

"Now, Shikamaru," Tsunade said, "tell me the details of your mission."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The next day, Naruto sat in his apartment silently, waiting for someone to let him know of Tsunade's decision. There was a knock at the door, and he practically jumped up to answer it.

"S-Sakura-chan," he said in surprise, seeing the pink haired girl standing there. "I wasn't expecting to see you here..."

"Naruto, you really are back!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Naruto stumbled backwards a bit, then reflexively hugged her back.

"Umm...so do you want to come in?" he asked, pulling away and looking at her.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Sure." Naruto led her inside and then stopped.

"Wait, turn around for a sec." Sakura did as she was told, and Naruto hastily cleaned up as much as he could.

"Okay," he said after a couple minutes, "Now you can turn back around."

The pink haired girl turned back around to see Naruto sitting on his bed with a now clear pathway to it. He patted the bed beside him, and Sakura smiled before going over and sitting.

"So...umm..." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "What brings you over here?"

Sakura giggled. "Oh, Naruto, you have such a way with words," she said. Naruto blinked.

"...I do?" he asked, and Sakura giggled again.

"I'm here to see if what people are saying is true," she said. "Everybody's saying that Shikamaru and his team managed to save you and bring you back...I wanted to be sure they weren't joking." She scooted closer to Naruto, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Umm...yeah...well, it's true," Naruto said. "Here I am, perfectly fine." Sakura smiled and scooted even closer.

"No, you're better than fine," she practically purred, "you're absolutely amazing."

"S-Sakura-chan, what are you doing?" Naruto asked, moving away from her and towards the head of the bed. Sakura just giggled and moved even closer.

"Oh, come on, Naruto, surely even you aren't too dense to see what's going on," she said, making the blonde scoot further away.

"I...I really don't think this is a good idea," he said, and she pouted as she moved closer.

"Why not? Isn't this what you've always wanted?" Naruto tried to move more, but found himself up against the headboard. Sakura grinned and crawled over so she was sitting in his lap.

"Why are you doing this, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as he leaned away from her. "And why now? After the thousands of times you rejected me, why are you doing this now?"

Sakura faltered briefly. Very briefly. The smile returned, this time looking rather coy. "Why are you questioning it? Here I am, willingly, the girl of your dreams, and you're not responding the way a normal man would. Is something wrong? Are you sick?" She reached up to feel his forehead. Naruto took her hand and slowly brought it away.

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan. You're the one acting weird. Is everything okay?"

Sakura bit her lip, then looked up, still smiling, only this time the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Of course it is." She leaned in, and Naruto saw the lips he used to fantasize about coming closer...and closer...

The door opened. Both Naruto and Sakura jumped, and Sakura scampered off Naruto's lap, blushing. Her eyes widened and she gave a small gasp as she saw who was at the door.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" she squeaked out, her blush deepening.

"So I guess Grandma Tsunade decided not to have you killed, then," Naruto said, looking up at Sasuke. Naruto was blushing too, though not nearly as much as Sakura was. Sasuke was just standing at the door, staring between his two former teammates. The surprised look on his face quickly faded to his usual indifferent one.

"Not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked, trying to hard to keep his composure.

Naruto shook his head, glad for a distraction from Sakura's forwardness. "No. Sakura-chan just stopped by to see if I was really back, and she was just leaving now."

Sasuke couldn't help it; his eyes narrowed. "No, no, don't stop on my account, by all means, continue on as I'm sure you'd be more than happy to do." With that, he turned and walked off. Naruto noticed that Sasuke wasn't wearing the Akatsuki cloak any more.

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" Sakura exclaimed and ran after him, seeming to forget all about Naruto, who sighed and just stayed there on his bed.

_This has been one hell of a week,_ he thought to himself.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Please don't shoot me! Trust me, I was practically gagging throughout that whole last scene...I can't stand Sakura, and NaruSaku is one of my least favourite pairings (though the worst is SasuSaku...-shudder-) BUT THIS WAS NECESSARY! You'll see why in later chapters...so, please don't kill me, at least not before you get the explanation.**

**I was going to cut it off when Sasuke walks in, but that wouldn't have given me nearly enough pages. As it is, I was two pages short of my ideal chapter length...whatevs. Anyway, please review! I like reviews...**


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize for last chapter. I also apologize for how long this one has taken, and for how short it is...yeah. Oh, and I ALSO apologize for any OOCness in this chappie...I tried my best, but there are a couple parts I'm still unsure of. It's difficult to make the characters do what I want them to and not be OOC, but I THINK I've managed to do okay...**

**On a side note, I've finally passed 100 pages in this fic! Yay me! XP Okay, enough rambling, on to the fic!**

**Chapter 7**

After a couple minutes, Sasuke poofed back into Naruto's apartment and shut the door. Naruto looked up. "You're back," he noted. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Obviously." Sasuke just stood there, and both boys were silent for a long while.

"Umm...so, there's not exactly enough room in here for both of us," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

Sasuke went over and punched Naruto in the nose. Naruto fell backwards on his bed, hands automatically flying to his face. He glared up at the other boy. "Ow! What the hell was that for, you teme?"

"Is that the only insult you know, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

"No, teme, it's just the best one for you," Naruto replied, taking a hand away from his face to check if his nose was bleeding, which it wasn't. He sat up again. "And you never answered my question; what was that punch for?"

"What the hell were you thinking, Naruto?" Sasuke exclaimed, and Naruto looked at him in confusion.

"About what, that thing with Sakura-chan? Because that was all her doing, I didn't-"

"No, I'm not talking about Sakura, baka," Sasuke interrupted. "What was that crap earlier about you handing yourself over to the Akatsuki if I were killed?"

Naruto blinked. "It was all just a bluff," he replied, "though I don't see why you care so much."

"So you weren't actually planning on going through with it?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Sasuke, I know I'm not the smartest person out there, but do you actually think I'd be stupid enough to kill myself just because you died? I wouldn't do that for anyone, let alone you. I have dreams and ambitions. I won't get to be the greatest Hokage by killing myself."

Sasuke's expression hardened. "Well, in any case, what are we going to do about the living situation? As you said, there's not enough room here for us both."

"Unless we both tried to make ourselves fit on my tiny bed," Naruto pointed out, "which really wouldn't work."

"Since I have no choice but to live with you, we may as well go to my old house in the Uchiha district. That way we can have lots of space and hopefully not get in each other's way," Sasuke suggested.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You're actually offering for me, an outsider, to not only see the famous Uchiha district, but to also live in it?"

"Only because there's really nowhere else to go."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why are you so calm about this? You're being kept in Konoha against your will, forced to stay with me, _and_ you've just been interrogated, so why aren't you fighting to get away? Why are you just standing there, giving strange suggestions? Unless..." Sasuke's eyes flicked to Naruto's face. "Unless you really did want to come back to Konoha!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Baka. I'm going along with this idiotic plan because I value my life. The Hokage made it very clear that if I try to make a run for it, or I purposely leave your side, I'll be killed on the spot, no matter how much you plead. That's the only reason I haven't gotten away yet."

"Uh huh," Naruto said with a grin. "I'm sure that's the reason. Oh, just admit it, Sasuke. You like it here in Konoha. You've realized that being evil really isn't your thing, and now you want your old life back. Am I right?"

Sasuke just turned away. "Come on, let's just go before I change my mind and decide I'd be better off dead." He opened the door again and walked out. Naruto followed with a grin.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"It won't work," Juugo said for what felt like the millionth time. "You basically just took your last plan and changed two minor details."

"Well, I don't hear you coming up with anything," Suigetsu snapped.

"That's because this whole revenge thing is your idea, not mine."

"Then why are you still hanging around and going along with it all?"

"Because," Juugo replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "I want to get Sasuke-kun back. I'm surprised I've lasted this long without trying to kill you or anyone else I've come across, and I don't want to push it much farther."

Suigetsu was silent for a while. "How about we sneak into Konoha, dressed like some of their shinobi, and find the kid while we're undercover? Then I can kill him!"

Juugo shook his head. "Firstly, how do we make sure that the shinobi we're impersonating aren't in the village when we go in? Secondly, it would probably take months of planning and spying to pick the perfect people to steal the identities of, as well as figure out their personalities and how they interact with everyone around them. That plan takes patience, Suigetsu, and lots of it. I know you don't have that kind of patience, if any at all."

Suigetsu scowled. "See? There you go again! You shoot down my ideas, then don't offer any of your own. How is that fair?"

"Are you even sure that killing this kid will make you feel better?"

Suigetsu pondered that for a moment. "You're right," he said after a while, "it won't. Death is too good for him. I want to make him suffer as much as he's made me suffer. I want him to feel the pain that I feel." He thought for another few minutes. "I've got it! I've got to kill the person he cares most about in the world! That'll make us even! Now if only I could figure out who that is..."

Juugo sighed. "That's not exactly what I meant," the big man said. "Revenge isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Sasuke-kun is a prime example of that."

"Yeah, well, Sasuke-kun's case is different from mine," Suigetsu argued. "He spent pretty much his whole life obsessing over revenge, so when he finally got that revenge, he had no idea what to do. But I'll still have a life to look forward to once I've made this kid pay for killing Karin."

Juugo shook his head silently. "I can't be around you when you're like this. Come find me when you've figured out what you're going to do." With that, Juugo left, wanting to keep whatever semblance of calm he could.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Wow, so this is your place?" Naruto asked, whistling in appreciation. He turned to look at Sasuke, who walked right past him and stopped. The Uchiha stood there silently, and Naruto walked up beside him to get a look at his face. Sasuke's eyes were closed, the rest of his face blank.

"Sasuke...?" Naruto started, looking at his friend in concern. "You okay?"

Sasuke's eyes remained closed for a few seconds longer, then snapped open, the usual cold indifference showing in them. "I'm fine," he said, turning away from Naruto. "Come with me and I'll show you which room will be yours for as long as we're forced to live together." He started to go, but Naruto grabbed his arm.

"First, let's take a walk around town," the blonde suggested. "I'm sure there are lots of people who would like to see you again."

"I don't want to see anybody," Sasuke replied, yanking his arm away. "That wasn't one of the requirements. I've already seen too many people for my liking, already had to deal with you and Sakura. There's no way I'm going to walk around town so people like Sakura and Ino can fawn over me, and go on and on about how they missed me so much, and how they always knew I'd come back. It's not going to happen. Now, come with me to see where you'll be sleeping." Sasuke walked off, not bothering to check if Naruto was following.

Naruto followed after a moment. "Sasuke, what's wrong?" he asked once he caught up. "I can tell something's bothering you."

Sasuke ignored him and continued on, stopping at a room. "Here. Now just leave me alone."

"Sasuke, tell me what's wrong."

"I said leave me alone, dobe!" Sasuke snapped, then walked off and slammed the door to his own room. Naruto sighed and stood there for a while, then quietly went the same way that Sasuke had gone, and stood outside the door, about to knock. As he raised his fist, he heard a strange noise coming from inside the room.

_What the...wait...that sounds almost like...is Sasuke crying?_ Naruto thought, then opened the door. Sure enough, Sasuke was sitting on his bed with tears streaming down his cheeks. His head whipped up at the sound of the door opening, and he scowled.

"Go away, dobe," he said, wiping his face. "I never said you could follow me in here."

Naruto walked over to Sasuke and sat beside him on the bed. He put a hand on the older boy's shoulder. "Talk to me, Sasuke. We were best friends once, I'd like to be that again."

Sasuke shrugged Naruto's hand off. "I told you to go away."

"I won't go away until you tell me what's wrong," Naruto replied.

"Then you'll be sitting here for a long time, because I'm not telling you." Sasuke sighed. "You wouldn't get it even if I did. Now go away."

Naruto sighed as well and got up. "Fine. You win for now, but when you do want to talk, you know where to find me." He left, closing Sasuke's door behind him, and headed back to his temporary room.

Sasuke rubbed his face once Naruto left. _It's been so long since I was last here,_ he thought to himself. _I've learned so many truths since then...Itachi...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything you had to go through. It wasn't fair._ He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to get a grip. He didn't want to start crying again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"I've got it!" Suigetsu exclaimed, walking over to Juugo. "I know the perfect way to get revenge on that bastard!"

Juugo looked at his teammate. "Alright, fine. What is it?"

Suigetsu grinned. "Remember that idiotic girl that Karin was about to finish off? Well, I'll be she was the bastard's girlfriend or something, judging by the way he threw himself to save her. So all I have to do is kill her in front of him, and everything will be great!"

Juugo shook his head slowly. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "How do you expect to get into Konoha to kill the girl in the first place?" he asked.

"Well, that's what I've got you for." The white haired ninja grinned. "You can figure that part out."

"Only because I want to get Sasuke-kun back. After that, I'm not going to bother with you any more, got it?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever, just as long as you help me out first." Suigetsu walked away, and Juugo sighed.

_Everything would have been a lot simpler if we hadn't joined the Akatsuki._

**And that's that! Told you it was short. Okay, my lovely readers, now it's your turn. I need a chapter that's pretty much filler, with as many random and amusing things in it as you guys can come up with. Basically, this is what I want: a) some way to get Sasuke out, walking around Konoha, b) a bunch of characters Sasuke should run into (with Naruto, of course, because Naruto isn't allowed to let Sasuke wander around on his own), and c) a bunch of crazily random crap to happen. So review with your suggestions! Don't worry, I DO have ideas for the plot, I just need to drag the rest of the fic out a bit more.**

**And to think, this whole fanfic started with a random thought that I wanted to send the modified team 7 out on a mission to Suna...anyway, review please! I'd love to hear (or read, if you want to be technical about it) what you think should happen, and I promise to mention you in the A/N if I use your idea.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it's been so long, folks, but I got side-tracked for a while there with my Halloween fic (you should check it out if you haven't already, it's called Sai's Horror Movie Survival Guide) and then I had to figure out what I was doing with this chapter. XP**

**Huge thanks goes out to one anonymous reviewer who decided to be SO anonymous that he/she didn't even give me any sort of name to refer to him/her by. I'm sure you know who you are, and if you're unsure, then you'll know by the end of the chapter, because practically everything in this chapter was one of your many ideas you gave me. XP There are a few of my own ideas in here as well, of course, like pretty much all the dialogue, but the majority of stuff is thanks to you. Oh, and I did loosen up on the "dobe" and "teme" in this a bit...I was overusing it a bit, but mostly just because I recently discovered those terms and felt like putting them in my fic.**

**Anyway, enough of all that, here's the chapter that you've all waited so long for! Just a quick thanks to all who reviewed and all who sent me ideas. I apologize if your idea didn't get used...maybe another time!**

**Chapter 8**

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Wake up!"

Sasuke opened his eyes blearily and unwillingly, then shot a look of annoyance at the blonde boy who was making all the racket.

"Do you have to be such a morning person?" the Uchiha grumbled, rolling over so he was facing the wall. Naruto scowled.

"It's not morning. It's afternoon. I let you sleep because I decided I didn't want you to be all pissy today, but apparently that was a waste of time."

"I'm pissy all the time, baka," Sasuke said, rolling over yet again and sitting up with his legs over the edge of the bed. "And it's still morning to me. I couldn't get to sleep until about three hours ago."

"Well, that isn't my fault, so you should take it out on me." Naruto paused. "What kept you up?" he asked. Now Sasuke scowled.

"None of your business," he replied, getting up and stretching. "Crap," he said a second later. "I just realized that whatever food might still be here...it's probably gone bad by now."

Naruto's face lit up. "That means we have to go out, at least long enough to stock up on food!"

"No," Sasuke corrected, "it means you have to go out to get some food. I'm staying here."

Naruto frowned. "Sasuke, you have to come with me. The only reason Grandma Tsunade let you live is because I pleaded with her, and told her I'd stick with you always, so if she saw me walking around without you, that would be the end of your life right there. I don't think either of us want that."

Sasuke sighed. "This is your way of telling me I don't have a choice, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded, and Sasuke groaned. "Fine," the Uchiha said reluctantly, "I'll go with you to get some food. But it can't all be ramen, and you can't expect me to talk to anyone, because I won't."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome!" he exclaimed. "So let's go!" He grabbed Sasuke's hand and started to pull him along, but Sasuke twisted Naruto's arm and threw the blonde to the ground.

"Baka," Sasuke said. "I'm not even dressed yet. You have to at least give me some time for that." He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at Naruto as the Jinchuuriki picked himself up off the floor.

"Okay, okay," Naruto mumbled. "Go ahead, get changed." He stood there. Sasuke's face reddened ever so slightly.

"Not with you in the room, dumbass," he said. "Leave."

Naruto blinked. "Huh? But we're both guys. I don't see what the big deal is..."

"Look, either you leave so I can get dressed, or we don't go," Sasuke said simply. "Your choice, really."

"We need food, Sasuke."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shoulders and spun him around, then pushed him out the door. "Then go away so I can get dressed," he said, closing the door. He sighed and started to take his pajamas off, then looked absent-mindedly around his room before he realized that the only clothes he currently had were the ones he was wearing yesterday. He sighed again.

_I guess clothes will be another item on today's shopping list,_ he thought to himself.

"Hey asshole, you done yet?" Naruto asked, opening the door. Sasuke froze and turned, very aware that he was only in his underwear. His face went totally red, though whether from embarrassment or from anger, Naruto had no clue.

"Get. Out," Sasuke said, teeth clenched and eyes narrowed.

_Okay, definitely anger,_ Naruto thought, slowly backing out of the room and closing the door. He stood in the hallway, trying to figure out why Sasuke was so adamant that he change in privacy, why he got so mad when Naruto opened the door, and mostly, _Why in the hell could I not stop staring at his chest?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few minutes later, a very grumpy looking – but fully clothed – Sasuke opened the bedroom door. Without a word to Naruto, he walked over to the front door and put his shoes on, then stood there and waited. Naruto followed suit a moment later, and the two of them walked out of the house.

"We're just getting food, and some clothes for me," Sasuke said. "We're not stopping anywhere else, not talking to anyone but the shop owners. Got it?"

"No promises," Naruto replied with a grin. Sasuke sighed.

"Oh, whatever," the Uchiha muttered, walking with Naruto into the main part of the village.

"Hey, Naruto," Kakashi said, walking up, "...and Sasuke. So I see the rumors flying around Konoha are true. Our own Uchiha Sasuke has finally returned."

"Not of my own free will or anything," Sasuke muttered.

"I told you I'd bring him back, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said with a laugh. "Nobody believed me, but here he is."

"How did you manage to convince Tsunade-sama to let him stay?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm right here, you know," Sasuke informed his former sensei, "you don't have to talk about me like I'm not."

"I know that," Kakashi replied, "but I'm talking to Naruto right now."

"Well, Naruto's busy," Sasuke countered. "Can't you talk to him later? The longer you stand here talking, the more of my time you waste."

"As impatient as ever, are we, Sasuke?" Kakashi noted, his visible eyebrow raising.

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, whatever. Stay and chat if you like, Naruto, I'm going on." He started to walk away, but Naruto grabbed his arm to make him stay.

"You have to stick with me, Sasuke, remember?" the blonde said. "We just had this conversation before we left. I risked my ass to keep you alive, so don't go being a bastard about it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Like I care about your ass," he said, "but fine. If you're going to whine and complain, then I suppose I'll stay."

"So that's how you did it," Kakashi said to Naruto. "You promised the Hokage you'd keep an eye on Sasuke, and she agreed to let him live."

"Pretty much," Naruto confirmed.

"I seem to recall a scene where you threatened to get yourself killed if I weren't spared," Sasuke remarked. "It was very moronic of you."

"Sasuke, we already had this discussion too, last night," Naruto said in exasperation.

"Wait, you threatened to get yourself killed, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"I wasn't going to actually go through with it," the blonde replied. "And anyway, it was nice seeing you, Kakashi-sensei, but we've got to get going. We've got stuff to do. Bye!" He grabbed Sasuke's wrist and dragged him off.

"Weren't you the one who actually wanted to talk to people?" Sasuke asked with a smirk as they left. Naruto stopped walking and let go of Sasuke's wrist, staring at him.

"That was your plan all along, wasn't it?" he asked. "You only brought all that up to make me stop talking to Kakashi-sensei!"

Sasuke stopped as well and looked back at Naruto, smirk firmly in place. "Come on, we've got stuff to do. Remember?"

Naruto scowled and kept walking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once the two of them loaded up on enough food to last them a couple weeks, they brought that back to Sasuke's place and went back out again to get some new clothes for Sasuke. The whole time they were out, Naruto kept up a constant stream of chatter, telling Sasuke about everything that had changed since the Uchiha had left. Everywhere they went, the people of Konoha stared at them; partly because Naruto wouldn't shut up, but mostly because they recognized Sasuke.

After about an hour or so, Sasuke finally picked several outfits for himself to wear. "Hey, let's go get a popsicle or something," Naruto suggested.

"First I want to put this stuff away," Sasuke replied, "but after that, sure, whatever. You're buying, though."

Naruto pouted. "No fair," he complained, "why do I have to pay?"

"Because it was your idea," Sasuke pointed out, "and because I've paid for everything so far today."

They dropped off Sasuke's clothes at the house, and then Naruto bought a popsicle for them to split. As soon as Naruto walked over with the frozen treat, Sasuke took it from him.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Sasuke looked up at the blonde. "Splitting the popsicle," he replied, doing exactly that. He handed the bigger half to Naruto, who was silent, and the two boys sat on a bench, eating their popsicles.

"Naruto-kun!" a voice called out. Both Naruto and Sasuke looked up to see Lee running towards them. Sasuke groaned inwardly. _Not __him__, _he thought. Naruto grinned.

"Hey, Bushy Brow! What's up?"

"I wanted to find out what happened during your discussion with Tsunade-sama," Lee said.

"Oh, that..." Naruto told Lee all about the conversation, and Sasuke interjected every once in a while with something Naruto skipped or just plain forgot.

"What was it like being interrogated, Sasuke?" Lee asked once he was all caught up.

Sasuke shrugged. "It was actually fairly uneventful," he replied. "I told them everything they asked about the Akatsuki. It's not like I ever felt any loyalty to them, anyway. I guess the interrogation team was expecting less cooperation from me, because there were guards everywhere to prevent me from doing anything funny. They asked a crapload of questions, and got inside my head a couple times when my answers weren't good enough, or they thought I was lying, so now they know pretty much everything I do about the Akatsuki."

"That's the most you've said at one time in a while, Sasuke," Naruto commented. The Uchiha shrugged again and ate the rest of his popsicle.

"Well," Lee said, "it was good seeing you both, but I should get going. Gai-sensei and Neji got back from their mission today, and our whole team is going to do some training."

"Okay," Naruto said. "Bye, Bushy Brow."

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun. Goodbye, Sasuke."

Sasuke just nodded, and Lee ran off. Sasuke sighed in relief. "I thought he'd never go away," he muttered.

"What don't you like about Bushy Brow?" Naruto asked, looking right at Sasuke.

"He's annoying," the Uchiha replied. "He's always too energetic, and he expects everyone else to have the insane amount of energy he does."

"But he's nice," Naruto pointed out. "He's caring, and will do just about anything to help a friend. In some ways, I guess he's like me."

"Maybe that's why I can't stand him," Sasuke remarked, and before Naruto had a chance to respond, Kiba walked up.

"Hey, Naruto!" he called. "Hey, Sasuke! Oh, listen, Sasuke, I hope there's no hard feelings about me killing that redheaded chick you were hanging around with. It was kind of a reflex."

"You mean Karin?" Sasuke asked.

"If she's the redhead with the glasses, then yeah." Kiba looked kind of nervous now. "She was going to kill Hinata, I had no other choice. I'm sorry if she meant something to you, but-" Sasuke laughed humourlessly.

"She meant nothing to me," he informed Kiba. "In fact, you did me a favour by killing her. Now I've got one less annoying girl who only wants me for my looks."

Kiba blinked, looking at Sasuke kind of uncertainly. "Okay," he said slowly, "as long as you're not upset with me or anything." Sasuke just shook his head, and Kiba turned his attention to Naruto. "So, Naruto, wanna come train with me?"

"Do you really have to ask that?" Naruto replied with a wide grin. "Hell yeah, I wanna come train with you! Come on, Sasuke, let's go." He stood up.

"Don't I get a say in the matter?" Sasuke asked, staying seated right where he was.

"Just because I volunteered to keep an eye on you, and keep you around, doesn't mean I'm going to give up on doing things I like because you don't like them," Naruto said, not looking at Sasuke. "If you don't feel like fighting, you can just watch, but either way I'm going and you're coming along."

Sasuke muttered something under his breath, but got up anyway and followed Kiba and Naruto.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke stood a safe distance away as he watched Kiba and Naruto fight. He wasn't too interested in what Kiba did, as he'd already seen the brunette fighting recently, but he did watch Naruto.

_He may not have grown mentally, _the Uchiha thought to himself, _but he certainly has improved his fighting skills. He looks pretty good, too...wait. I shouldn't be thinking things like that. _Sasuke shook his head, and continued watching Kiba and Naruto. Well, technically, Kiba, _Akamaru_, and Naruto, but Sasuke often didn't count the dog.

"Fang over Fang!" Kiba exclaimed, and he and Akamaru did their special jutsu, heading towards Naruto, who was just laying on the ground. Sasuke watched, tempted to intervene, but just as the jutsu was about to hit, another Naruto appeared above Kiba and Akamaru, a Rasengan in his hand. Sasuke grinned in spite of himself as Naruto's Rasengan connected with Kiba, and the dog-lover went crashing into the ground, along with his dog. The Naruto on the ground vanished, and the real Naruto helped Kiba up, grinning at his friend.

"I win," the blonde announced happily. Kiba laughed breathlessly.

"Yeah, I guess you do," he agreed.

"Are you two ladies done squabbling yet?" Sasuke asked, staring at Naruto and Kiba with his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face. "I'd like to get home and relax."

Naruto frowned. "But we only just got out of the house," he noted. "We haven't even done much. I haven't gotten to show you everyone and everything that's changed yet!"

"Does it look like I care?" Sasuke asked, looking very much like he didn't care one bit. "And we've been out pretty much all day. It's already starting to get dark."

"Only because you're as prissy as a girl when it comes to sleep!" Naruto exclaimed. "If you hadn't slept all morning, we wouldn't be out this late!"

"Well excuse me for valuing my sleep!" Sasuke countered.

"And then there's your issue with picking out clothes," Naruto continued. "Oh, no, I can't buy these pants, they make my butt look big," he said in a mocking tone. Kiba tried (and failed) to stifle his laughter, and Sasuke's face went totally red.

"I do not sound like that!" he insisted. "And I never said anything even remotely similar to that!"

"You were probably thinking it, though." Naruto laughed.

"I have to say," Kiba interjected before Sasuke could say anything, "I've really missed this."

"Missed what?" Naruto asked, looking at Kiba in confusion.

"You two!" the brunette replied. "The way you guys argue and fight over every little thing! It's great entertainment, that's for sure. I swear, you've gotten even more like an old married couple after being apart for so long."

"Kiba," Sasuke said in a warning tone, "if you value your life, then shut up right now."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said. "If you tried to kill me, Akamaru would back me up, and Naruto would probably try to stop you, too. Don't make threats you can't follow up on."

"Maybe we should get going," Naruto said, noting the murderous look on Sasuke's face and remembering the fact that the Uchiha had been considered an S-class criminal not all that long ago. "Come on, Sasuke, let's go." He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him off, leaving Kiba and Akamaru standing where they were.

"Don't mind Kiba," Naruto said once they got a little ways away. "He hasn't really changed that much, he always talks before he thinks. You know that. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, he just-"

"Naruto," Sasuke interrupted, "stop. Just stop. I know you're trying to protect your friend, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to hear it. I just want to walk home in silence. Is that really so much to ask of you?"

Naruto bit his lip and didn't reply. Sasuke looked at him once to see the blonde just staring at his feet while they walked. Sasuke felt a twinge of regret for his words, but did nothing to take them back.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, just as Sasuke wanted. _I got what I asked for,_ the Uchiha thought to himself, looking at Naruto, _so why am I not as happy as I should be?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Did you come up with a plan yet?" Suigetsu asked, walking up to Juugo. The big man looked up.

"I'm no farther along than I was when you asked me five minutes ago," he replied, "now get lost."

Suigetsu frowned. "You haven't even been thinking about it, have you? You say you want to get Sasuke-kun back, but you don't want it badly enough to actually do any planning."

In a matter of seconds, Juugo had Suigetsu by the neck, pinned to the wall. "Shut up!" he yelled. "You have no idea what you're talking about, so just shut up! I have been thinking about it, it's just hard, that's all! And don't you ever accuse me of not wanting Sasuke-kun back as much as I say I do, because that is total and utter bullshit!"

Without even batting an eye, Suigetsu turned his body into water and slipped out from Juugo's grip. "You can't threaten me," the white-haired ninja said, reforming just outside the big man's arm reach. "There is absolutely nothing you can do to hurt me. I, on the other hand, could hurt you if I felt like it."

"No you couldn't," Juugo disagreed. "I'd just block any attacks you tried on me."

Suigetsu scowled. "Come up with some sort of plan," he more or less ordered. "I want at least a base idea when I come back." With that, he left, and Juugo stood there, glaring at thin air.

**There! It's done! Finally! And, even better news, I think I know what I'll be doing with this now! Yay me! Okay, you guys, here's your second chance: I want some bonding ideas. I need some things to show Naruto and Sasuke's relationship (which, I guess, is currently still just friendship, if anything. Meh. That'll change soon enough. ;P), things for the two of them to do. The lovely anonymous reviewer I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter gave me a couple of other ideas that I didn't use in here but I plan on using at some point in the future, because they're just so cute, but I would like more so I don't have to worry about running out. XP Sorry, that chapter really wasn't as good as I'd have liked it to be, but I'm kinda in a rush to get it posted so you guys won't think I've abandoned you (I haven't!). Next chapter will be better, I swear! Anyway, review and give me ideas! Luv you guys! Mwah!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my lovelies! I'm back! Alright, this chapter is a bit shorter than others, but I basically wanted to get one specific event done, seeing as it was the one event that was impeding the continuation of actual plot, and that's what this chapter is here for. Next chapter, I'll be kicking it up a notch. **

**Thanks to Kailey (you remembered to put a name down this time! Yay!) for trying to give me ideas, though I didn't end up using the idea you sent in. Of course, I _did_ sort of use one of the ones from the first time that didn't make it to last chapter. And yeah, you should totally get an account for this glorious site! It'd be awesome!**

**Thanks also to ****And here comes the chocobunny**** for the ideas. Ironically, I only just read your review today, and therefore after I'd already finished writing the chapter out, yet I had the same idea that you first put in. That's actually the reason that this chapter and last chapter are sorta filler-ish, is so that I could work on Naruto and Sasuke's bond. I may use your other ideas next chapter, since I'll still need **_**something**_** to do before the actual plot can begin, but sadly, they will not be in here. Actually, I know exactly how I can use the Yamato idea...-evil smirk-**

**Let's see...I think that's all the anon reviews I need to address...yup. Okay, on with the chapter!**

**Chapter 9**

Sasuke lay there in bed, trying to will himself to go to sleep. It wasn't working. He sighed. _Why did all this crap have to happen to __me__?_ he lamented silently. _I mean, wasn't it bad enough living for 8 years thinking my brother killed our entire clan because he was evil? Wasn't it bad enough that I had to live all that time thinking Itachi hated me and the clan, only to find out __after__ he died that that wasn't the case at all? __Now__ I have to be stuck living with Naruto for God knows how long? That's perfect, just perfect. _Sasuke sighed again, and there was a knock on the door before it slid open. Sasuke looked over to see Naruto poking his head in the room.

"Hey...Sasuke, do you think I could maybe sleep in here with you?" the blonde asked, looking at the Uchiha kind of sheepishly. "I can't get to sleep."

"What makes you think that'll change just by sleeping in the same room as me?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"Well...I don't know...I just thought it might."

"Naruto, you've lived on your own for practically your whole life. Shouldn't you be able to handle sleeping by yourself by now?"

Naruto sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess you're right...sorry to bother you..." He started to leave.

"But..." Sasuke said, making Naruto pause, "If you really think it'll help, I suppose you can sleep in here. But you're sleeping on the floor, and if you keep me awake, then I'll kick you out. Got it?"

Naruto smiled widely. "Awesome! I'll go get my blanket and pillow, then I'll be back!" The blonde left.

Sasuke rubbed his face. _What the hell am I thinking?_ he asked himself. _I know I won't be able to get any sleep with Naruto in here, even if he doesn't purposely keep me awake. I won't be able to stop __thinking about the fact that he'll be so near me...oh well. It's not like I was anywhere close to falling asleep anyway, and besides, I doubt I'd want to deal with a sleep-deprived Naruto tomorrow._

Almost immediately after Sasuke finished that thought, Naruto came back in, carrying a blanket and pillow. "Okay, I'm back now! Where on the floor do you want me?"

"Anywhere, as long as you're not between me and the door. I don't want to have to step over or around you if I have to get up in the middle of the night." _And I don't want to chance stepping on you,_ Sasuke added silently.

"Okay, no probl-" Naruto stopped, his eyes widening as he tripped on his blanket and fell forward. Before Naruto could hit the floor, however, Sasuke was up and caught the blonde. Sasuke could feel Naruto's heart pounding as both boys stayed totally still.

"Umm...thanks," Naruto said after a long while.

"You should be more careful, baka," Sasuke said, with what Naruto could swear was affection mixed with annoyance in his voice.

"Yeah, well, you can let go now." Sasuke let go, making sure Naruto would be okay. The raven-haired boy then made his way back to his bed and laid back down. Naruto set his blanket and pillow on the floor, then laid down as well.

"Aren't you glad you came back, Sasuke?" Naruto asked a few minutes later.

"Not particularly," the older boy replied. "Though I suppose it is nice not to be almost constantly traveling, and pretending to agree with what Madara is doing the rare times I don't have somewhere to go. Still, it's not worth the annoying people in this village, not to mention the lack of freedom. At least with the Akatsuki, I had more freedom than this, which says a lot, seeing as I still wasn't quite as free as I would have liked."

I'm one of the 'annoying people', aren't I?" Naruto asked morosely.

"A lot of the time, yes," Sasuke said. Naruto fell silent. "But other times," Sasuke added quietly, "I'm glad you dragged me back here, and fought to keep me alive. It's nice to know there's someone out there who cares about me."

Naruto sat up and looked at Sasuke in surprise. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"I...I must be tired," Sasuke muttered. "Never mind. Goodnight, Naruto." _I'd better go to sleep before I reveal more than I already have._

"No, wait," Naruto said, still looking at Sasuke. "You were going to say something else."

Sasuke didn't reply, he just laid there silently. After a while of this, Naruto sighed and figured Sasuke fell asleep, then laid back down. He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next morning, Naruto was already out of the room when Sasuke woke up. The Uchiha sighed and stretched, then climbed out of bed and got dressed. He walked into the living room to see Naruto sitting there in complete silence.

"How long have you been awake?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked up at him.

"A while. Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

Sasuke paled – quite an achievement, considering he was already pale to begin with. "Really? What did I say?"

"Well...I think I know what you were going to say last night now." Naruto's voice was very quiet for a change, and his face was unreadable, which was another odd thing.

"What might that be?"

Naruto looked away. "Sasuke, we've been friends for a very long time now. You even went so far as to call me your best friend."

Sasuke sat down on a separate couch from Naruto. He said nothing to confirm or contradict Naruto's words.

"If we've been friends for so long," the blonde continued, "then why did you never tell me that you're gay?"

There it was, the question Sasuke had been waiting – and dreading – to hear. His cheeks filled with colour, and Naruto looked at his friend, waiting for an answer.

"We're not friends now, so it doesn't matter," Sasuke replied. "We may have been close before, but that all changed when I left Konoha."

"That's not what I'm asking you," Naruto said, eyes locked on the Uchiha's face. "I didn't ask if we're still friends, I asked why you never told me before, when we were friends."

"Because I didn't want you to know," came the simple response.

"Why not? Did you think I'd make fun of you? Did you think I'd stop wanting to be your friend? That I'd start treating you differently? I'd tell everyone?"

"No, Naruto, it's none of that!"

"Then what is it? I just want to know why."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, scrutinizing the blonde boy's face. "You really want to know?" he asked, and Naruto nodded. "Fine. I'll tell you. It's because..." He sighed, his blush deepening.

"Because you like me," Naruto supplied when it became clear Sasuke wasn't going to finish his statement. "That's what it is, isn't it?"

"And what if it is?" the raven-haired boy asked.

"Well...I suppose that would be okay. I mean, it makes a lot of sense, seeing as I am quite sexy."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and a cold look entered them. "Too bad, because that's not the reason at all," he lied. "I don't like you, and the only reason I never told you before was because I knew you'd find some way to mock me. I was considering possibly telling you if we ever became friends again, but that's totally out of the question now."

"So you say you don't like me?" Naruto asked.

"That's what I said, dobe."

"Then there shouldn't be much of a reaction if I do this." Before Sasuke had a chance to do or say anything, Naruto was in front of him. The Jinchuuriki took the older boy's face in his hands, and kissed him deeply. Sasuke's eyes widened, and he blushed. His heart pounded against his ribcage, his body unresponsive due to shock. Then, slowly, just as Naruto was about to pull away, Sasuke pulled him close and returned the kiss. Now Naruto's eyes widened, and he stayed there until Sasuke pulled away.

Naruto gave a shaky laugh. "I knew it," he said. "You like me."

"Baka. Get off me." Sasuke looked away, trying to hide his blush. Naruto complied, then stood there silently for a moment.

"So...how about some breakfast, huh?" the blonde said eventually.

"Sure. But you're making it."

Naruto scowled. "Why am I the one making it?"

"Because you're the one who suggested it." Sasuke was quickly recovering from the shock of the kiss.

"Fine..." Naruto grinned. "But if I'm making breakfast, then you're watching movies with me later."

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed. "I never agreed to that!"

Naruto laughed. "If you don't want to watch movies, then you make breakfast."

"That's not a very fair option. You know I don't want to do either of those things."

"Well, you've got to choose one or the other," Naruto said with a grin. Sasuke sighed.

"Fine. We'll watch some movies later, but only if you make something good for breakfast."

"Alright, it's a deal."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Much later, the two boys sat together on the couch, watching some movies that Naruto had picked out because Sasuke could really care less. They even held hands, though it wasn't clear whose idea that had been.

"I'm a little confused," Naruto said after the first movie. Sasuke sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"It's really quite simple," he said, taking his hand away from Naruto's to explain better. "See, the main character thought that the murderer was the train engineer's father, because the father had a record for killing other people, but the murderer was actually the main character, who had such a strong multiple personality disorder that it really was as if he were several different people. The irony is that one of the main character's personalities was actually that of the train engineer's father, who we hear about yet never see, thus proving the main character's theory correct."

Naruto blinked. "That's not what I was confused about, but I am now. Thanks a lot."

"Then what were you referring to?" Sasuke asked. Naruto fidgeted.

"Well...us, I guess. What are we now? Friends? Acquaintances? Something more...?"

Sasuke sighed, yet again. "Nothing has changed. All that happened was you kissed me to see if I like you, and I kissed you back. It doesn't mean anything."

"Then why were we holding hands during the movie?" Naruto asked quietly.

Sasuke hesitated. "I don't know. I guess it just happened...but it doesn't mean anything, either."

"Oh...I see." Naruto looked away, seeming almost disappointed.

"...unless you want it to," Sasuke added, seeing Naruto's reaction.

"As weird as it seems – to me, at least – I think I kind of do," Naruto said.

"So you're saying you want to be my boyfriend?" Sasuke smirked, and Naruto gave a small chuckle.

"I never thought I'd say this to another guy, but...yes. I think I want to be your boyfriend."

"You're sure?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to make me change my mind?"

Sasuke's eyes, usually filled with a cold indifference, were now showing a tender caring. "No, but I want you to be completely sure this is what you want. I've had years to consider it, but you...you've really only had today."

Naruto was slightly thrown off by the foreign expression on the Uchiha's face, but he quickly regained his composure. "What does that matter?" he asked.

'Naruto, I've known for years that I am how I am. Remember that day, right before our squads were assigned to us, where we accidentally kissed?" Naruto blushed and nodded; he remembered all too well. "I've known since then that not only am I...well, gay, but also that I want to be with you. I've had years to come to terms with these facts, and it's because of my feelings for you that I didn't kill you at any of the opportunities I had."

"You're acting very weirdly, Sasuke," Naruto said kind of warily. "I don't think I've ever heard you talk this much about your feelings. Are you sick or something?"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "No, you moron, I'm trying to show you the real me, the me I've had to suppress for years because I thought I had to destroy my brother. I'm trying to show you that I care about you, a lot."

"Well, it's kinda freaking me out," Naruto said.

"In any case," Sasuke continued, "the point I was trying to make was that I don't want you to just jump into this without really thinking it over first. I care about you, I may even love you, but I want you to be sure that you truly want to be with me before you say anything. Because if you don't, that's fine, I mean, it's not like I was really expecting-" Sasuke's rambling was cut off by Naruto kissing him intensely.

"I think I like it better when I'm the one talking too much," the blonde said with a grin when he pulled away.

Sasuke blinked. "You're absolutely sure this is what you want?" he asked, and in reply, Naruto kissed him again. This time, Sasuke returned the kiss happily.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"How are those plans of mine coming along?" Suigetsu asked as he walked over to Juugo.

The big man scowled. "You can't very well call them your plans if I'm the one making them," he answered. Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just tell me how close they are to being done."

Juugo didn't answer for a minute, scribbling something down, then he held up a piece of paper with a whole bunch of writing and diagrams on it.

"It's ready," he said, a certain tone of finality in his voice. Suigetsu grabbed the piece of paper and read it over carefully. A malicious grin slowly crossed his face as he read.

"Excellent," he said. "This is absolutely brilliant. Juugo, you are amazing. How soon can we leave?"

"Well," Juugo began, "there are a few supplies we need to gather, and you'll have to come up with an excuse for Madara as to where we're going and why."

"Why do I have to make the excuse?" the white-haired ninja whined. "I thought that the planning was your part of the deal."

"Yes, and I've done my part. That's what's on the paper. Let's not forget that the whole thing was your idea to begin with, and you've done absolutely nothing to help out with it, so it's only fair that you should do something."

"Fine," Suigetsu said with a scowl. "I'll figure something out. How soon can we leave?"

"I was halfway through answering that question when you interrupted." Juugo glared at Suigetsu, who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Anyway, we'll need some supplies and an excuse, so depending on how long that takes, we can leave in maybe a day or so. Of course, it'll take probably three days to get from here to Konoha, so the actual revenge part of my plan will have to wait at least four days, possibly longer."

Suigetsu scowled again. "It'd better not take longer than that. I've waited long enough already."

"Then you'd better start thinking up an excuse," Juugo said, because it all depends on you."

Muttering unkind things under his breath, the water ninja stalked out of the room, taking Juugo's sheet of paper with him. The big man rubbed his face.

_Hang on, Sasuke-kun,_ he thought, _I'm coming for you._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I see," Madara said as Zetsu finished relaying the information he just overheard. "Well, now, this works rather well for me."

"I take it you have some idea of how to get Sasuke-kun?" Zetsu's white half asked.

"Yes indeed, and I'll use that idiot's plan as part of my own," Madara replied, his visible eye gleaming. "Those two are going to enter Konoha, and since they were never a part of the village, they won't know where the good spot to enter without being sensed is. I, however, helped create the protective wards, so I know exactly where the blind spot is. I can sneak through there, then take advantage of the chaos caused by Juugo and Suigetsu in order to search around for Sasuke-kun. Perhaps while I'm there, I'll find the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki as well."

"Sounds like a good plan," Zetsu's black half said in approval. "What are you going to do if they catch you, though?"

Madara gave Zetsu a stern look, and though Zetsu couldn't see the Uchiha's face, he could feel the intensity of his gaze and shied away somewhat.

"They won't catch me," Madara said certainly. "I wouldn't allow it."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**There you go, dear readers! As far as the movie thing goes, the plot for the movie was totally made up on the spot, though I've been told that it sounds very similar to a movie that actually exists (I can't remember which one) and it also sounds very realistic. XP Maybe I could be a movie script writer in the future! Lol. Anyway, I don't remember if the anime/manga has ever said anything about trains existing, so I took a bit of a liberty there. Also, I've got no idea when/how the protective wards around Konoha were created, so I'm just gonna go ahead and say that Madara contributed to it. XP**

**On a side note, this year is ending! Now, next year I have plans to make a b-day fic for each of the characters I deem worthy of such a fic, and I'd like your suggestions for who I should write for. Thus far, I've got:  
Gaara  
Shino  
Minato  
Suigetsu  
Konan  
Kisame  
Sakura  
Hidan  
Deidara  
Kankurou  
Iruka  
Itachi  
Neji  
Kiba  
Kushina  
Sasuke  
Tsunade  
Kakazu  
Temari  
Kakashi  
Nagato/Pein  
Shikamaru  
Ino  
Naruto  
Orochimaru  
Sasori  
Jiraiya  
Sai  
Lee  
Madara/Tobi  
Hinata**

**Is there anyone else that you guys would like to see me write for? Don't worry about knowing the character's birthdate, I can easily look it up. XP And just so you know, not every one of these fics will have something specifically to do with the birthday. So yeah, ideas please! I will take ideas for either characters or for their fanfics; in fact, the only characters I've put on my list that I won't accept suggestions for (because I already know exactly what I'm going to do) are Naruto and Tsunade. Any of the others (or any you come up with) are fair game as far as the fanfic ideas go. XP Please review!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry about the wait, folks, I've been caught up in the holiday madness it seems. XD But at least I managed to get a chapter in before Christmas, right? Though I'm not sure if it's a very good Christmas present...you'll see what I mean when you get to the end. It's not exactly the longest chapter I've ever written for this, but it's also not too short. It's somewhere in the middle, at a happy medium. On a side note, I've finally reached page 150 in writing it out. Yay me! Okay, I'll stop chattering on and start typing already. And hey, there's a tiny little bit of a lime in this one! Hmmm...this is turning out to be more of a NaruSasu than a SasuNaru...oh well, it works either way most of the time. XD Enjoy! **

**Chapter 10**

That night, Naruto slept on the floor of Sasuke's room again. Even though the two were now "together", Sasuke wouldn't let Naruto sleep in the same bed as him yet. "That's just going too far, too fast," the Uchiha said when Naruto suggested it, and so the blonde just made himself comfortable on the floor.

For the next few days, both boys were working hard; Sasuke at showing Naruto his true self when they were alone, and Naruto at convincing Sasuke to just act like that all the time.

"You'll make more friends if you're nicer," Naruto pointed out.

"I've already got tens of thousands of girls who want to be with me because of my looks," Sasuke countered. "Imagine how much competition you'd have if I were to start acting nice."

Naruto shook his head. "They wouldn't really be competition, seeing as I know you could care less about girls."

Sasuke laughed, a sound Naruto was still trying to get used to. "I suppose you have a point. But don't you like the fact that you're the only one who gets to see me like this? You're the only one who gets to see me smile, or hear me laugh. Doesn't that make you feel special?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does. Okay, so you don't have to be quite like this when we're out, but you should at least stop looking like there's somewhere else you'd rather be."

"I think I could do that." Sasuke smiled.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Juugo and Suigetsu walked towards Konoha. Juugo looked at his partner.

"So what excuse did you end up giving Madara?" he asked.

Suigetsu grinned. "I told him we're going to Konoha for the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, since Sasuke-kun failed at doing that the last time. I said we'd take care of it, and that's that."

Juugo looked surprised. "He accepted that?"

"Yep," Suigetsu said. "Seems he really wants that Kyuubi."

"It kind of makes me feel bad for Naruto-kun," Juugo remarked. "He seemed like a nice kid when we captured him. He was good company, too. I wish we had him with us to keep us amused."

"Well, I'm sure we'll see him when we get to Konoha," Suigetsu said in response. "I think he's friends with that asshole who killed Karin, as well as that girl I'm going to kill. Plus, I doubt he's the kind of person who'd just stand by and do nothing while his village is being destroyed."

"We're not destroying the village, Suigetsu," Juugo informed the younger teen. "We're going in so you can find that girl and that guy, and I can find Sasuke-kun. If we have to fight others, we will, but that's not what we're there for."

Suigetsu glanced at Juugo from the corner of his eye. "I would've thought that you'd be all for causing as much mayhem and destruction as possible," he said, "but instead you're being all righteous and 'oh, we can't fight people because it's not what we're there for'." He shook his head. "I swear, between you and Sasuke-kun, I'll never be able to have proper fights with anyone."

"Is killing really that important to you?" Juugo asked quietly.

"No, not on its own," Suigetsu admitted. "But if I'm going to go through the trouble of fighting someone, then I want to be able to finish him off too. I though you'd be into that."

Juugo was silent for a long while, staring at his feet. "I was," he said finally, "and I hated it. You know that. You know I have issues with my urges to kill. I hate it, which is why I'm coming with you to get Sasuke-kun back."

"Maybe it'd be better for us both if we just don't talk," Suigetsu suggested.

"Good luck with that," Juugo said in reply. Suigetsu scowled.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

"That's it!" Naruto exclaimed, making Sasuke jump. "We're going to the hot springs!"

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto grinned.

"Yep. Neither of us has been in a while."

"You don't think it might be a little...awkward?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't see why it'd be any more awkward than when we used to go as kids," he replied.

"Yeah, but we're together now," Sasuke argued. "It'll be odd seeing each other naked right now, and could be embarrassing if..." The Uchiha trailed off, blushing and hoping that Naruto would get what he meant. Luck, as it would happen, was not on his side.

"If what? If people see us? I'm sure all of Konoha knows by now that we're together."

"No, that's not what I meant." Sasuke shook his head and sighed. "Oh, whatever. I suppose we could go there. It might be nice."

Naruto grinned in triumph. "Yay! Let's go!" He grabbed Sasuke's hand, and the two boys went to the hot springs.

When they got there and started undressing, Sasuke willed himself not to look at Naruto, because he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself if he did. However, it seemed that Naruto had no similar issue, as Sasuke could feel the blonde's eyes on him.

They walked in silence into the actual hot spring itself, and for some reason, it was empty aside from the two of them.

"That's weird," Naruto said as he slid into the water, "I would've thought there'd be more people here."

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed, getting in next to Naruto and blushing deeply as he did. "Where is everyone?"

Naruto shrugged. "Who knows? But at least this gives us some alone time."

"I don't know, Naruto...what if someone does come in?"

"It's like I said; pretty much everyone in Konoha knows we're together, and we'd only be kissing, so I don't really see the big deal."

Sasuke sighed. "Okay, but just kissing, nothing else." He pulled Naruto close and kissed him deeply. Naruto returned the kiss eagerly, and ran his hands down Sasuke's chest, making the older boy shiver despite the heat of the water. Just as Naruto's hands began to venture lower, the sliding door opened and both boys froze. Sasuke quickly let go of Naruto as they both looked towards the door. Shikamaru was standing there, fully clothed, a somewhat panicked look on his face.

"Sh-Shikamaru," Naruto said with a shaky laugh, cheeks painted a deep shade of pink. "It's not what it looks like, we just-"

"I don't really care about that, Naruto-kun," Shikamaru said quickly, "but the both of you had better get some clothes on and get to the main part of Konoha. Sasuke, this is your chance to prove to the village that you've changed."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, suddenly alert and serious.

"Are we being attacked?" Sasuke asked.

"No, not so much 'we' as 'Hinata'," Shikamaru replied. Naruto jumped out of the water and raced back inside to put his clothes on. Sasuke followed, though not quite as quickly. Once they were dressed, Shikamaru led them to the scene of the fight.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hinata, look out!" Kiba yelled as Suigetsu ran to Hinata, sword raised high. Before Hinata had a chance to even react, Neji was in front of her, and Suigetsu was sent flying away.

"What the hell is that guy doing here?" Kiba asked no on in particular, running to Hinata and helping Neji protect her.

"I believe he was one of Sasuke-kun's followers when we found Naruto-kun," Lee offered, and Kiba rolled his eyes.

"I knew that," he said in exasperation. "But what is he doing here, in Konoha?"

"Maybe he's mad at us for taking Sasuke-kun away," Shino said, "and now he's trying to get him back. It certainly makes sense."

"If that's the case," Neji said, eyes glued to Suigetsu, who was now trying to get up, "then why target Hinata?"

"Who cares why he's here?" Chouji said. "Let's just get him already!"

"I'm with Chouji on this one," Ino said. "Nobody attacks our village and gets away with it!" She and Chouji both rushed forward towards Suigetsu.

"Stop!" Shikamaru called out, running up to the large group of shinobi. Everybody looked at him, then above them as an orange blur flew past. Suigetsu looked up as well, just in time to see Naruto tackle him to the ground.

"Oof!" Suigetsu exclaimed eloquently.

"What are you doing here, Suigetsu?" Sasuke demanded, coming up behind Naruto. Suigetsu looked up – as best as he could – at his former leader.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun," he said. "Can you get this kid off me?"

Naruto growled, and Sasuke crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "What are you doing here, Suigetsu?" he repeated in a harsher tone than before. Suigetsu flinched, then grinned maliciously.

"I'm here to get my revenge," the white-haired ninja said.

"On who?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto growled again.

"Who cares?" he said, eyes never leaving Suigetsu's face. "It's not like we'll let him hurt anybody here, right Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't answer Naruto. "Who are you here for?" he asked Suigetsu.

"The bastard who killed Karin," Suigetsu spat.

"So you want to kill Kiba?" Naruto yelled.

"No, not him." Suigetsu turned his head to look at Hinata. "I'm going to kill his little girlfriend. That way he'll know the same pain and suffering as I've had to go through."

Naruto followed Suigetsu's gaze, then punched him square in the face. "You will not lay a finger on Hinata!" he exclaimed.

"No?" Suigetsu said in amusement. "Then how about I slice her to bits instead?"

"That's enough, Suigetsu," Sasuke said. "You won't be hurting or killing anyone. Believe me when I say revenge isn't the way to go."

"You're only saying that because you failed at your revenge. You made the mistake of feeling sorry for Itachi once you killed him. I won't do the same with this girl."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, wanting to see his boyfriend's reaction to these words. Sasuke's eyes hardened, and white hot anger flashed through them. Naruto quickly forgot his own anger and got out of the way, knowing Sasuke would want to hurt Suigetsu for that comment. Sure enough, Sasuke gathered some lightning chakra in his hands, and plunged a Chidori straight into Suigetsu's chest.

Suigetsu spasmed as the lightning coursed throughout his body, and Sasuke just kept it going. Eventually, someone picked Sasuke up from behind, giving Suigetsu a chance to recover. Sasuke struggled.

"Please stop, Sasuke-kun," the person who grabbed him said softly, and Sasuke immediately stopped, recognizing the voice. "You know how he is, don't blame him for what he says."

"So you're here too, Juugo," Sasuke stated once he was sure he could speak calmly. Juugo carefully put Sasuke down on his feet, and Sasuke turned to face him.

"I came back to find you," Juugo said. "I can't stand being without you...I swear, if Suigetsu weren't so damn difficult to kill, I would have done so at least five times – and that's just on the way here."

"Well," Sasuke said, glancing back to make sure Suigetsu was still momentarily incapacitated, which he was, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not leaving. Not even for you."

Juugo frowned. "You're not leaving? Not even for me?"

"That's what I just said," Sasuke nodded.

"Then how about for me?" a new voice asked from behind Sasuke. The Uchiha boy turned and stared with wide eyes at the man who stood there.

"Madara," he whispered.

Naruto looked up at the newcomer in surprise. "Wait, you mean this is the Madara you were talking about?"

"You're coming with me, Sasuke-kun," Madara said simply. "You've been a very bad boy, sneaking off like that, but now you're going to come back home where you belong."

"Where I belong is not with you," Sasuke spat angrily. "I didn't sneak off, either, I was pretty much forced to come back here. But I've never been happier, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving again. Not now, not ever."

Naruto could almost see the smirk creep across Madara's face, even though the older man wore his mask. "A touching sentiment, but it wasn't a question or an offer. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."

"No!" Sasuke yelled. At that moment, several things happened simultaneously; Sasuke started to punch Madara, Naruto tried to stop Sasuke, and Suigetsu got up and started towards Hinata.

"HINATA!" Kiba exclaimed. Naruto looked over to see Kiba hurrying towards Hinata, trying to stop Suigetsu from running her through with his sword, and then Naruto watched, horrified yet unable to move, as Suigetsu's blade made itself a new home straight through Hinata's heart. Naruto heard several voices cry out, then realized vaguely that one of them was his own. Suigetsu pulled his sword out of Hinata, who fell to the ground.

Immediately, Ino and Sakura were on either side of Hinata, attempting to heal her. Kiba, Neji, and Naruto all leapt for Suigetsu.

"No, stop!" Sasuke yelled, and the three boys turned to look at him.

"You're not defending him, are you, Sasuke?" Neji asked slowly.

"No," Sasuke said, "I was just going to warn you that you can't hurt him as he is. He'll just turn his body into water."

Suigetsu grinned, showing off his pointed teeth. "It's true," he said.

"Then how are we supposed to make him pay for hurting Hinata?" Kiba growled.

"Let me incapacitate him first," Sasuke said, gathering a Chidori in his hand once again. He started towards Suigetsu, but there was suddenly a hand on his wrist, holding him back.

"Oh, no you don't," Madara breathed. "I can't have my little pet helping these Konoha brats, now can I?"

Sasuke clenched his teeth and surreptitiously activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Hey, Suigetsu!" he called. The white-haired ninja looked over, and was instantly caught in Sasuke's trap. "Naruto, Kiba, Neji, NOW!" the young Uchiha exclaimed, and those three boys snapped out of their surprise just long enough to all leap for Suigetsu and kill him together. Because Suigetsu was under Sasuke's genjutsu, he didn't have a chance to dodge the attack, not even partially.

Madara's hand tightened on Sasuke's wrist, making the latter lose his concentration and break the jutsu. "I think that's enough dawdling," the older man said. "We're going now, Sasuke-kun." With that, he poofed away, taking a very unwilling Sasuke with him. Juugo disappeared as well, leaving his fallen comrade there.

"NO!" Naruto screamed, and clawed at the air frantically as if he could somehow bring Sasuke back that way. None of the others paid him any attention, however.

Kiba got up, away from Suigetsu's dead body, and went to where Ino and Sakura were still kneeling over Hinata. "How is she?" he asked. "Is she okay?" The two girls looked up at him with tear streaked faces.

"Kiba," Sakura said gently, "I'm so sorry. We tried everything we could, but we can't-"

"Then bring Tsunade-sama here," Kiba insisted. "She's supposed to be the best medical ninja there is, right?"

Ino and Sakura exchanged worried looks, then looked back at Kiba. "Kiba," Ino tried, "she's gone. Not even Tsunade-sama can bring her back now."

"No!" Kiba yelled, shaking his head. Tears formed in his eyes. "You're lying! It can't be true!"

Ino bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No," Kiba said again, more softly this time. He dropped to his knees and held his head in his hands, and just broke down completely. Ino and Sakura each placed a hand on his shoulders, and Akamaru gently licked his master's face, whining, but Kiba pushed them away. "Leave me alone, all of you," he muttered, and when none of them moved, he yelled, "Go away!"

The three of them hesitantly left Kiba there, and the dog lover scooted closer to Hinata's body. He cradled her in his arms and wept. Nobody bothered him.

**GAAAAAH! I feel so horrible! I'm sorry, Kiba, I really am! I'm so upset with myself for doing this, but...it had to be done. For the sake of the story, it had to be done. Now, don't get me wrong, folks, I love both Kiba and Hinata, and I hate hurting either of them (let alone both at the same time), but it's necessary for later plot. Le sigh. I was crying as I wrote that last part, with Kiba's reaction to finding out that Hinata's dead, which in and of itself should've been a sign to me to not go through with it. It takes a lot to make me cry due to something I read or watch, but it takes even MORE to make me cry due to something I write, so when it does happen, I feel even worse about whatever I wrote.**

**In any case, it's done. The last chapter before Christmas (and possibly the last for the year, depending on what I'm doing next week). Hey, did anyone else notice that Madara was kinda acting like Orochimaru for a moment there, just in the way he was talking? Oh well. It worked. I just sorta went with it, you know? XP Merry Christmas to all of you that celebrate, and I apologize if you don't. I'm going to go ahead and display my ignorance by saying I have no idea when Chanuka (I'm pretty sure that's the actual way to spell it) or Kwanza or any of those other holidays are/were, but if you celebrate a holiday that isn't Christmas or New Year's, then have a great one! And please try not to be too mad at me with this chapter...it was necessary.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi, everybody! I apologize for the long wait, but I've been busy pre-writing chapters for my newest fic, "A Series of Birthdays". In case you haven't checked it out yet (it's so far only the prologue) I encourage you to do so. This coming Wednesday, the 19th of January, will be the date that the first chapter will be released, as it's the first birthday of the year...at least, the first person I've deemed worthy to write a birthday fic for. XP In any case, this chapter is a bit longer than most, just over 18 pages. Most of the chapters are around 16 pages, so I hope that even that little bit will make enough of a difference that you can all forgive me for the late update. **

**Thank you to all who reviewed, and as for your review, And here comes the chocobunny, I have to say I'm honestly not sure. XP I don't really know where this is all going plot-wise, I'm sort of just letting the characters tell me that as I go. I mean, I'm still surprised I've made it this far! The whole fic started with me thinking, "Hmm, I want to write a real fanfic. I think I want to involve Gaara. Oh! It should involve SasuNaru as well! Maybe Naruto and Sakura and...I guess Sai...can go on a mission to help Gaara, and then Sasuke can show up! Yeah! That'll work!" and I started with that. The whole "Sasuke-captures-Naruto-and-tries-to-bring-him-to-Madara" thing just sorta happened, and everything else came from there. So I don't know if I'm going to follow the manga, though I do want to somehow incorporate Naruto meeting his mom, because I really liked that part. I like Kushina. XD If I do end up using some of the manga plot, I'll likely just skip over the details of what's happening with the main person (mostly Naruto) and show everyone else, because I'm not really interested in basically rewriting the manga in fanfic form. Though I totally agree with you on the subject of wanting to torture Madara. Hell, I'm the one who wrote that stuff happening, and I hate it! Yet I love it at the same time...**

**Anyway, before I get even MORE carried away, I'd better just start the chapter. I hope you enjoy, though it's mostly a serious chapter (obviously, looking at what last happened. XD). Don't forget to review! Reviews make me smile, as does the small bit of humour I managed to fit in to this chapter.**

**Chapter 11**

Madara, Sasuke, and Juugo appeared in the middle of the current Akatsuki hideout, and Sasuke immediately broke away from Madara.

"I'm going back to Konoha," he announced, and made the hand sign to poof away. Madara snapped his fingers, and Juugo took each of Sasuke's wrists, tying his hands behind his back. Sasuke turned and glared.

"You'd really turn on me?" he asked incredulously. "After all I've done, after all we've been through, you'd turn on me just like that?"

Juugo gave Sasuke an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, but orders are orders."

"I thought you were following my orders, not his. I'm the one who's helped you this whole time, not this guy."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun," Juugo repeated. "I already feel horrible about it, please don't make me feel worse."

"You can fix it," Sasuke informed him. "You could let me go."

"I can't do that. I need to be around you, that way I can stay sane."

At that moment, Zetsu walked up. "You left Suigetsu's body there?" the black half asked.

"You should've brought it back," the white half complained. "We're all out of snacks."

The other three shinobi just glared at Zetsu in response, not saying a word.

"Okay, okay," Zetsu's white half said apologetically. "I was just trying to lighten the mood a little. You guys are always so serious."

"I told you it wouldn't work," the black half said. "Maybe you should actually listen to me from time to time."

"Shut up, both halves of you," Madara demanded. "Show Juugo where to put Sasuke-kun." He looked directly at Sasuke. "I've prepared a special room for you." Sasuke could practically hear the smirk in the older Uchiha's voice. Zetsu nodded and walked off. Juugo picked Sasuke up and gently put the young Uchiha over his shoulder.

"I swear I'll kill you for this, Madara," Sasuke vowed, glaring at the older man.

"Oh?" Madara said, amused. "Weren't you just saying to Suigetsu that revenge isn't the way to go? Besides, what hope could you possibly have of besting me? You may have gotten powerful with Orochimaru, powerful enough to kill him even, but you'll never be strong enough to so much as hurt me. I'm simply too old and powerful for you."

"Let me go and I'll prove you wrong," Sasuke said through clenched teeth.

Madara waved his hand. "Take him away, Juugo. I'm done with him for now."

Juugo nodded and followed Zetsu. Sasuke didn't say another word. _Naruto_, he thought, _you'd damn well better get here soon._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What do you mean you can't let me go?" Naruto exclaimed. "It's my fault he was taken in the first place! If I hadn't been distracted by Hinata, I could've...I should've...you've got to let me go look for him, Grandma Tsunade! I swore I'd keep him by my side if you'd let him live, and I never go back on my word!"

"Naruto, calm down," Tsunade ordered. Naruto growled, but stayed otherwise silent. It had been just over a day since Suigetsu had come looking for his revenge, and the only thing that had been stopping Naruto from coming to Tsunade earlier had been his grief for Hinata's death. "Now, I've already agreed to send some people out to find Sasuke again," Tsunade continued, "but I can't let you go with them."

"And why not?" Naruto demanded.

"Because we can't afford to lose you," the Hokage replied. She leaned back in her seat and laced her fingers together. "Now more than ever, it is imperative that you – and thereby, the Kyuubi – stay out of the Akatsuki's grip. If I let you go on this mission, there's a very good chance that I'll be playing right into their plans, as there's no question that Uchiha Sasuke will have been taken back to one of the Akatsuki's hideouts. We know from Sasuke that the Akatsuki only need two more bijuu; the Hachibi and Kyuubi. We still don't know exactly what their plan is, but we do know that it requires all nine bijuu, and I won't risk losing you. Not now, when the odds are stacked against you like this."

"But Granny-" Naruto began, but was cut off.

"No, Naruto, my decision is final. I've fought for you many times, allowed you to go into dangerous situations against everyone else's advice, but this is where I draw the line. It's too dangerous for even me to allow you to go." Seeing Naruto's crestfallen expression, Tsunade's eyes softened. "However, since I know you'll be just dying to help out in some way, I'll let you decide who will be going."

Naruto's face lit up. "You really mean it?" he asked excitedly. Tsunade gave him a small smile.

"Yes, I do. Choose wisely, and gather them here as soon as you can so I can make the final selection."

"Well, it may not be what I was hoping for, but at least it's something!" Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Grandma Tsunade, I won't let you down!" With that, he left in search of the people he trusted most to do what he couldn't.

_Oh, Naruto,_ Tsunade thought as she watched him go. _If only I believed that my orders would actually keep you here. Too bad I know you better than that. Nothing will stop you, not where Sasuke's concerned. Not then, and certainly not now._ She sighed heavily and continued her paperwork.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Five minutes after his talk with Tsunade, Naruto was knocking on the door to Shikamaru's house. His dad answered it.

"Oh, it's you, Naruto," he said. "What can I do for you today?"

"Hi, Shikaku-san, I need to see Shikamaru, please," Naruto said politely.

"Sure, just a moment." Shikaku turned and called for his son, then turned back to Naruto. "Does Hokage-sama need him, or something?" he asked.

"Yeah, something like that," Naruto replied. Shikamaru appeared at the door.

"What's going on, Naruto-kun?" he asked.

"I need to ask you a favour," Naruto said.

"Sure, what's up?" Shikamaru stepped outside and shut the door behind him.

"Well, I know it's only been a day after that whole fight, but I talked to Grandma Tsunade about-"

"About going to find where they took Sasuke, right?" Naruto blinked in shock, and Shikamaru chuckled. "Don't look so surprised, it's not like you're a difficult person to figure out, Naruto-kun. But anyway, you talked to Tsunade-sama about going after Sasuke, and? Let me guess; she wouldn't let you go?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I'm still gonna go anyway, and I'm sure she knows it, but that's not the point. The point is that she told me that, since I'm not allowed to go, I get to pick who will go."

"And I'm the first person you thought of?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto nodded. Shikamaru looked surprised. "Really? I would've thought that Sakura-chan would have been your first choice, seeing as she's always wanted Sasuke around almost as much as you do."

Naruto frowned. "Sakura-chan has been...acting weird ever since Sasuke and I got together. I honestly don't know what to do about her, but I do know that I don't want her anywhere near Sasuke without me being there too. I mean, I trust Sasuke enough that I know he won't do anything, but I don't trust Sakura-chan to not try and make him change his mind."

"But you just said you'd be going anyway," Shikamaru pointed out, "so it shouldn't really matter what Sakura-chan would try to do without you there. Besides, it's always good to have at least one medical shinobi on a squad."

"Well, I was kinda thinking Ino could do that," Naruto admitted, "or maybe even Hina-" He stopped and looked down at his feet. Shikamaru cleared his throat awkwardly, and Naruto took a deep breath, then looked up with a smile planted firmly on his face. "Anyway, maybe it would be a good idea to have Sakura-chan on the team. Two medical ninja are better than one, right? And she and I do fight well together."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, but you're forgetting that Sakura-chan and Ino can't stand each other. It might not be wise putting them on the same team, not if you want to get anything done."

"Oh yeah." Naruto laughed. "See, this is why I came to you first, you're so much better at thinking things like this through than I am. Okay, so do we pick Ino or Sakura-chan?"

"That one's completely up to you," Shikamaru said, putting his hands up.

"Yeah, but what would you do if you were in my place?" Naruto inquired. The brunette thought it over for a moment.

"I would probably take Sakura-chan," he said finally. "You've already said that you work well with her, and I will always prioritize the success of the mission above personal feelings." When Naruto gave him a confused look, Shikamaru sighed. "Think of it this way; what are you most concerned about? Getting Sasuke back, or the possibility that Sakura-chan may try to make a move on him?"

Naruto nodded. "that does make sense. I'd much rather have Sasuke back, especially since I already know nothing Sakura-chan does will make him change his mind about her."

"So there you go, you've got me and Sakura-chan. How many people did Tsunade-sama say you could have?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "She didn't," he replied.

"In that case...I think we should choose the smallest amount of people possible, so it'll be easier to deal with them."

Naruto nodded yet again. "Good idea. So who else would you suggest?"

"Well," Shikamaru began, "ordinarily I'd say to take all of Team Kurenai, seeing as they're really the best trackers, but with what just happened, I doubt either Kiba or Shino would be too eager to do anything."

"Just leave it to me," Naruto said with a confident grin. "I'll find a way to drag them both along."

Shikamaru just had to smile at that. "You know something? I believe you. Tell you what; you go convince them, and I'll make a list of people who could be good to bring. When you come back, I'll give you the list, and you can have final say in the team members. Does that sound good to you?"

"You've got it!" With that, Naruto poofed away. Shikamaru sighed.

"Man, this whole thing is such a drag," he muttered to himself, "but it's worth it to make Naruto-kun truly happy." He went back inside to get started on the list of people.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke opened his eyes when he heard the door creak. The room in which he was kept had no windows of any kind, very thick walls, and a solid metal door. It also had a special buzz in the air which steadily sucked the chakra from all those inside it. Madara had gone to many lengths to ensure that Sasuke wouldn't escape, and after only a couple hours of being stuck in that room, the young Uchiha had resorted to simply laying on the lumpy bed provided. He'd already exhausted every other option he'd been able to think of, back when his chakra had still been mostly full. Now, a day later, he lay on the bed with his back to the newly opened door; he knew better than to try and use this moment to escape, as it wouldn't work.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked bitterly, not even bothering to check who was there. He heard a sharp intake of breath, then a deflated sigh. He now knew who it was before the other person even spoke.

"Please don't be mad at me, Sasuke-kun," Juugo's voice said softly. "You've got to understand, I had no choice. Madara-sama found a way to persuade me."

"'Madara-sama'?" Sasuke repeated. "So now you're even giving him a title? He really must have gotten to you. What did he do, promise you ultimate power? You've already got some incredible power. Did he promise you happiness?" Sasuke laughed humourlessly. "Yeah, like that's going to happen. A sense of belonging? Good luck getting something like that from something like him. So what was it he said to make you serve him so willingly?" Juugo was silent for so long that Sasuke eventually rolled over onto his other side to make sure he hadn't left. The older teen was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You've changed, Sasuke-kun," he said finally.

"Yeah, I guess I have," Sasuke admitted. "It was all thanks to Naruto. He helped me find my real self, not just the cold, heartless person I was pretending to be for so long. I must be a damn good actor, because I'd even convinced myself that that was how I truly was." He was silent for a moment. "But anyway, don't change the subject."

"You really love him, don't you?" Juugo said, and it was more of a statement than a question. "I can tell by the way you talk about him." Sasuke scowled.

"I thought I just told you not to change the subject," he snapped. "What did Madara say to you to make you choose him over me?"

"I don't see why it matters," Juugo replied.

"I need to know. Because if you're so intent on being around me, you could always let me go and then come with me."

Juugo shifted his weight uncertainly. "I don't really think I'd be very welcome in Konoha," he said.

"Sure you would. You're a very nice guy when you're not trying to kill someone, and you'd have me there to keep you in check. But if, for some reason, you weren't accepted...I'm sure Naruto wouldn't object too much to coming along elsewhere."

Juugo shook his head. "No, I couldn't do that. I could tell, when we captured him, that Naruto-kun has a deep love for that village. Besides, I would feel awkward being the only other person around the two of you."

Sasuke sighed. "Well, at least I tried," he said, then rolled over so his back was facing Juugo once again. "Why did you come here?" he asked.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay."

Sasuke laughed humourlessly again. "Oh, sure I'm okay," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, I don't care that I'm trapped in a windowless room, with my chakra being sucked out every second I'm in here. I also don't care that, just as I was finally starting to actually be happy, I was forced away from that which was making me happy for the first time in years. I don't care that, at this very moment, the one person I care about is likely making his way over here, where he will almost definitely get himself killed trying to fight against the bastard who locked me in here. Nope, I don't care about a single one of those things, because I am perfectly okay!" Sasuke was breathing heavily by the end of that speech, and his face was red with anger and frustration. Juugo stayed silent for a long while, then he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I shouldn't have bothered you." He left, closing and locking the door behind him, and Sasuke let his eyelids shut. He was utterly exhausted.

_I wonder if this room will take enough chakra away to kill me,_ he thought briefly before drifting off to sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto knocked on Kiba's bedroom door. "Go away," the voice called brokenly from inside, accentuated by a whiny bark.

"Kiba, it's me, Naruto. Your mom let me in."

"I know it's you, baka," Kiba said, still not opening the door. "I can smell you from here. Go away."

Naruto opened the door, which wasn't locked, and walked in the room. Kiba was laying on the bed, one hand draped over the edge. Akamaru lay beside the bed, the top of his head lightly brushing his master's fingertips in an attempt o give what little support he could. Kiba didn't look up as Naruto shut the door and walked over, though Akamaru raised his head and whined at the blonde. Naruto sat on the bed beside Kiba, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Kiba, I know you're upset, and I am too, but I need your help." When Kiba didn't respond, Naruto continued. "I'm going to find where Sasuke was taken, but I need your nose – and Akamaru's – to help find him properly. Will you come along?"

Kiba was silent for so long that Naruto nearly thought the brunette had fallen asleep. Then Kiba rolled over, and Naruto saw the dog lover's currently red and puffy eyes. He wondered just how long Kiba had been crying for.

"Let me get this straight," he said in a flat, lifeless voice. "You want me to get my ass out of bed and come do a mission with you, one that would benefit only you, even though I haven't left my room in over a day and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and die?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Naruto confirmed. "I'm going, whether you agree to come or not, but it would be a hell of a lot faster if you help."

Kiba just stared at his friend. "I don't know what yous see in Sasuke, since he's a bad tempered asshole who only cares for himself, but if it's enough to make you constantly risk your life to save his...I guess I'd better come with you. At least if I'm there, I'll be able to make sure you don't go and die on me, because there's no way I'd be able to deal with another friend dying right now."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome! I knew you'd agree!" He hugged Kiba, and after some hesitation, the brunette returned the hug. Then Kiba pulled away.

"I do have one condition, though," he said. Naruto gave him a quizzical look. "It has to wait until after Hi- ...after the funeral."

Naruto nodded. "Of course. I want to go to that too."

"Who all is coming? On the mission, I mean."

"Well...so far, there's me, you, Sakura-chan, and Shikamaru."

"Wow. That's not very many people. You should see if Neji or Shino want to join...we could use their talents for tracking. Of course, it'll probably be harder to convince Neji than it was to convince me...I mean, she is – was – his cousin, after all."

"Yeah," Naruto said, "but you loved her. Convincing Neji can't be any more difficult than convincing you, which wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it'd be."

"Yeah, yeah. Now leave me alone. I'm not done sulking."

Naruto sighed and hugged his friend again before leaving. Much later, he stood in front of Tsunade's desk for the second time that day.

"Well?" she said expectantly, noticing that he was alone. "Where are they?"

"They all want to wait until after the funeral," Naruto replied, looking at his feet. Tsunade nodded.

"I understand. Who have you decided on?"

"I've got Shikamaru, Sakura-chan, Kiba, Neji, and Bushy Brow."

"That sounds like a good team. I assume you added Lee because he insisted?"

Naruto grinned. "Yep. He was there when I talked to Neji, so I kinda had to let him come as well."

"Naruto..." Tsunade sighed. "I know that you're going to go no matter what I say, but please reconsider. Even with the people you chose, it's going to be exceedingly dangerous and risky for you to go. Don't forget about your dream of becoming Hokage."

Naruto shook his head. "I know I told you this already, back when we brought Sasuke back here, but how can I be Hokage if I can't even save one friend? I'm going to risk it all to rescue him. After all, isn't that what a true Hokage would do for Konoha? This is the same thing, just on a smaller scale. Sasuke is more than just a friend to me, he's my world. I won't let my world be destroyed because of any danger I might have to face. No real shinobi would. So I'm going, and you can't stop me."

Tsunade slowly looked down at her desk, her eyes closing. "Fine. I know you well enough to know that you mean what you say...just promise me one thing, Naruto."

Naruto blinked, surprised that he had won so quickly and easily. "Huh? Uh...sure, what is it?"

"Promise me you'll make it back alive."

Naruto stood there for a long while, staring at Tsunade in shock. All of the Hokage's defenses were lowered, and even someone as dense as Naruto could tell that she was speaking from her heart. Naruto laughed, putting a huge grin on his face. "Are you kidding? Of course I'll make it back! I'm not going to let anyone kill me, especially not now. If I get killed in battle, it won't be until I've been Hokage for a long time, and I'll die protecting Konoha."

"That's good to hear," Tsunade whispered. "Now go; I'm sure you've got something you should be doing." She turned around in her chair so that Naruto wouldn't see the tears that had managed to escape from her eyes. As she heard him leave, she found herself thinking of Jiraiya. _He's so much like you in every way,_ she thought. _I only hope he doesn't meet a similar fate._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The door to Sasuke's cell opened, but the young Uchiha didn't bother even calling out to see who was there. He was more exhausted now than he'd been since the time he fought with Deidara and had used nearly all his chakra. He simply stayed as he was, his back to the door and his eyes closed.

"You can come out if you're ready to cooperate, Sasuke-kun," Madara said from the doorway.

"I'll never cooperate with you," Sasuke replied, making sure his voice didn't betray any of the weakness he felt. "You have nothing to offer me that would make me even consider it."

"You and I both know that's not true," Madara said. "You still crave power, regardless of whether your reasons are the same. You've had a taste of what being truly powerful is all about, and you will continue to want more and more. Trust me, I know. After all, you are still an Uchiha. The lust for power...and the right to wield it...it's all in your blood. It's part of the reason our clan is considered a cursed one."

"Go away," Sasuke demanded. "I don't want any power that you could give me."

"That's too bad, I'm sorry you feel that way. Perhaps another day or two in this cell will change your mind." With that, the older Uchiha left.

Sasuke curled up, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. _The worst part is...he was right. I do still want more power. I want it...but I don't want to want it._ He sighed helplessly. _Dammit, Naruto, hurry up and get here already. I can't be stuck here much longer. I...I need you. I...I...love you._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**There you have it, folks, the latest chapter! Again, I apologize for the wait, but I hope this makes up for it. I dunno about you guys, but it felt rather short to me, despite being longer than most of the other chapters...might have something to do with the fact that nothing much happened. XP About Sasuke...I know he's quite a bit OOC right now, but I truly believe that if he were to give up on any and all revenge, and get to be with someone as eternally happy as Naruto, he would likely start to act more like he was as a child. He was such a happy kid before Itachi killed everyone, and I believe that Naruto would be able to draw that side of him out again. Currently in this fic, Sasuke's in the in-between phase, so he still has his moments of being the way we all know him as, but he's a much happier person right now.**

**In any case, I hope you all enjoyed it, and please don't forget to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, lucky you guys! You get another update sooner than the last one was! XP It's just because I've had a lot of time to write lately...I'll have even more time once I finish writing the last birthday fanfic for February. Yes, I prewrite those, but only so that way I can make sure that I post them on the individual peoples' actual birthdays! Anyway...moving right along.**

**Rejoice, all ye who watch the Shippuden anime, for this week was the last of the fillers! Next week, the plot begins again! I'm so excited, because I'm also caught up in the manga, so I know exactly what's going to happen in this next arc, and it's the arc I've been waiting to see for AGES! Woot woot!**

**Okay, enough with the happiness...fwoosh. Down. Calm. DEPRESSING! Sorry, I think I'm a little too hyper right now. Good thing I've already written this whole chapter out, otherwise it'd end up being much too light and happy for where it's supposed to be...**

**Chapter 12**

Hinata's funeral was the next day, and nearly the entire village showed up for it. Kiba tried very hard to stay strong throughout the ceremony, but he ended up sinking to his knees and sobbing. Akamaru, Naruto, and Kurenai all tried their best to comfort him. Neji left halfway through the ceremony, and nobody stopped him.

Once it was over, Naruto and Kurenai walked Kiba home to make sure he'd get there alright. Naruto sighed, knowing that his mission to save Sasuke would have to wait yet another day.

"It's not fair," Kiba mumbled, speaking for the first time that day. "Why her? She didn't deserve it, not in the slightest. She was so nice, she never did anything purposely mean to anyone..." He sniffled, and Naruto put a hand on his shoulder, though it was Kurenai who spoke.

"Sometimes things happen that we don't like, Kiba-kun," she said gently, "and as much as we hate it, there's nothing we can do. The life of a shinobi is dangerous, Hinata-chan knew that when she made the decision to become kunoichi. Remember when the three of you made genin? I kept telling you that, knowing that one day, something like this would happen."

"If you knew it would happen, why didn't you stop it?" Kiba demanded, not looking at his sensei. Kurenai just sighed.

"Because," she replied, "I never knew when it would happen. And besides, I'm due to give birth any time now, I can't be fighting...no matter how much I may want to."

"Oh...right. Sorry, Kurenai-sensei, I forgot."

Kurenai smiled softly. "Don't worry about it, Kiba-kun. I know you're upset. Don't forget, I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

Kiba was silent for a moment, then looked up. "Does it get easier?" he asked. "Does the pain ever go away?"

Kurenai hesitated. "Not completely," she said reluctantly, "but it does get a little easier. Once you get over the initial shock and hurt, which can take a long time depending on how long you've loved the person, you start to realize that maybe, just maybe, they're not quite as gone as you think. That though the person may not physically be there anymore, they still live on in all our hearts. You'll come to accept it, if not necessarily like it."

They reached Kiba's house and stopped. Naruto hugged the brunette. "Take care, okay? Get some sleep...I'll be back tomorrow afternoon to get you for our mission." Kiba just nodded, and looked at Naruto and Kurenai.

"Thank you both," he said quietly, then turned around, and he and Akamaru walked inside. Kurenai looked at Naruto.

"You're really going to drag him on a mission this soon?" she asked. "Shouldn't you give him some more time?"

"I agreed to wait til after the funeral, and I'm giving him another day," Naruto replied. "At least I'm not insisting that we leave right now, isn't that enough?" Kurenai stayed silent, so Naruto continued. "Besides, maybe this will make him snap out of his depression. Action always helps."

Kurenai sighed. "I hope you're right about this, Naruto-kun," she said, "for Kiba-kun's sake." She walked away, leaving Naruto standing there silently.

_I hope I'm right too,_ he thought. _I hate seeing my friends so upset, but I can't wait much longer to find Sasuke. Every second I waste here, Sasuke could be being tortured...or maybe he will be forced to turn on all of us again...Ugh, I can't think that way! I have to have faith in him..._Naruto sighed. _I'd better get home and get ready for tomorrow._ With that thought, he left.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next afternoon, Naruto was at Kiba's house, like he'd promised, and then the two boys – as well as Akamaru – walked up to the front gates of Konoha, where they met up with Shikamaru, Sakura, Neji, Lee, and Tsunade.

"Be very careful, all of you," the Hokage said, and looked straight at Naruto. "I still don't like that you're going, but it can't be helped, so..." She then looked at the others, specifically Shikamaru and Sakura. "Keep him safe. Try not to let him do anything overly reckless, and whatever you do, do not let him get taken by the Akatsuki, you hear me?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Shikamaru and Sakura said simultaneously, bowing to her respectfully.

"Alright." Tsunade closed her eyes briefly, then gave them all a fierce look. "Your mission is to find where Uchiha Sasuke has been taken, and bring him back here safely. Do not engage in battle if at all possible, though if it's unavoidable, just be wary. I expect each of you to succeed and come back. Now go!"

They all took off, Shikamaru in the lead. "Shouldn't Kiba and Akamaru lead?" Naruto asked as they ran. Shikamaru looked back at him.

"We know that the Akatsuki's current hideout is somewhere near Sunagakure, since that's around where we found Sasuke taking you before." He looked back to the front. "We'll go just past Suna, and depending on whether we need supplies or not, we may stop in there for a bit, but once we've passed it, Kiba and Akamaru will take the lead, following Sasuke's scent."

"I guess that makes sense," Naruto said.

"I wish Sai were able to come," Sakura lamented. "He could just fly us over there, then we'd be there sooner."

"You're forgetting about Akamaru," Kiba said tersely. "There's no way he'd go on a bird of any kind, let alone an ink one, so he and I would stay down here anyway. That means we'd all still be going pretty much this speed no matter what, so quit complaining."

"You don't have to be so rude, Kiba," Naruto said with a frown. The brunette said nothing, and Sakura sighed.

"I just hope the rest of the trip won't be like this," she muttered.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What do you want, Zetsu?" Madara asked, sensing the other shinobi's presence.

"It looks like we're going to have to go to a different location," Zetsu's black half replied.

"It's really too bad," the white half complained. "I hate having to move."

"Why do we have to move?" Madara inquired. "Did you do something stupid?"

"It seems that the Konoha shinobi have found out this location," Zetsu's black half replied, ignoring the last part of Madara's question.

"That's definitely a problem," Madara said. "I won't have them come here and take Sasuke-kun away again." He sighed. "Notify Juugo and Kisame. We'll go to our previous hideout, just in case they've figured out our pattern by now."

"What about Sasuke-kun?" Zetsu's white half asked.

"Leave him to me." With that, Madara walked to Sasuke's cell and opened the door. "Have you thought about my offer?"

"Go to hell," came the response. Sasuke was still laying on the bed with his back to the door.

"Really? You aren't even going to play along in order to get out of this room? I'm surprised. I had no idea you were so eager to die."

"Die?" Sasuke repeated.

"Surely you must have realized it by now," Madara said. "Eventually, this cell will absorb all your chakra, draining your body completely dry, which will then kill you." Sasuke was silent. "In any case," Madara continued, "you'll get a brief amount of time away from the room. Though with how long you've already been in here, I doubt your chakra will recover quickly enough to be of any use to you, so it really won't matter."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, turning over to look at the older man.

"We're moving locations," Madara replied.

"Already? But didn't we just move to this one shortly after I joined?"

"Yes, well, certain circumstances have forced us to move sooner than ordinary."

"What circumstances might those be?" Sasuke stared at Madara.

"That's none of your concern, Sasuke-kun," Madara informed the young Uchiha. "Now, get up...if you're still able to, that is." Sasuke glared, then carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed and put his weight on them. Truthfully, he had no idea if he'd be able to stand, though his desire to not show weakness to Madara would hopefully be strong enough to keep him upright.

Madara watched with amusement as Sasuke tried to stand, and was amazed when the boy was actually able to. "Impressive," he admitted, "but can you walk?"

"Of course," Sasuke said through gritted teeth. It was a huge effort to do even this, but he slowly put one foot in front of the other, and managed to move. He got about halfway to the door before his legs gave out and he fell to the ground. Madara chuckled.

"Oh well, I suppose I'll have Juugo carry you, then," he said. "Perhaps I made the cell take too much chakra each minute..."

"I'm...fine..." Sasuke picked himself up and continued walking. He pushed past Madara and made it outside the room. "There," he said, leaning heavily against the wall. "Now my chakra should start coming back, and then I can kick your ass."

Madara laughed. "As if you could," he said. "You're too weak to even put any anger behind that threat. What makes you think you're anywhere near strong enough to beat me now, or at any time, for that matter?"

"Shut up," Sasuke spat.

"If you really can walk, then let's get going. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto and the rest of his group reached Sunagakure, and stopped just outside its gates. "Do we need to stop in for anything?" Shikamaru asked the group.

"Actually, we're running low on food," Kiba said. It was the first time he'd spoken since he'd snapped at Sakura, just after they'd left Konoha.

"We should go in for a little bit," Sakura said. "Just long enough to stock up on food and other necessary supplies."

Naruto shifted from foot to foot. "I don't want to take time away from our search for Sasuke, but...it would be nice to visit Gaara..."

"It's not a matter of what you want to do, Naruto," Neji said coldly. "The fact of the matter is that we need supplies, and Suna is the only place nearby where we can get those supplies. Therefore, we stop to get what we need, then we continue."

"He has a point," Sakura said, "though he could have said it more nicely."

"Enough chatter," Shikamaru announced. "If we're going in, we should do it now."

They all walked through the gates of Suna, and almost immediately ran into Kankurou. "Naruto!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"We're just passing through while we're on a mission," Naruto replied.

"Well, you've got to come visit Gaara," Kankurou insisted. "He'd be upset if he heard you were here and didn't say hi."

"You go do that," Shikamaru told Naruto. "Meet us back here in...probably an hour."

Naruto stared at Shikamaru. "An hour? Really? But we're on an important mission, can we really afford to wait that long?"

"It's just an hour," Shikamaru replied, shrugging. "It'll be fine. Besides, it'll be easier for the rest of us to get what we need without you being all annoying and whiny."

Naruto frowned, and Kankurou grabbed his arm and dragged him away. "C'mon, we're going."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gaara was sitting in his office, doing some paperwork, when Kankurou strolled in. Gaara looked up at his brother in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you to knock first?" he said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah," Kankurou said, "I figured you'd forgive me this time. I have a present for you."

"Hey, I'm not an item!" came a second voice from outside the door. Gaara stood up slowly, and Naruto walked in the room.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" Gaara started. "Is that really you?"

Naruto grinned. "The one and only," he said in affirmation. Gaara walked over, and Naruto hugged his friend. Kankurou left the room, closing the door behind him.

"It's been a while," Gaara said, pulling away from the hug and looking straight at Naruto. "I'm glad to see that you're okay...the last I knew, you were taken by members of the Akatsuki, and Uchiha Sasuke was one of them. What happened with that? How did you manage to escape?"

Naruto laughed. "Wow, I forgot how behind you are on everything that's happened. I've got a lot to tell you. It's a good think I'm so good at talking." So Naruto began, filling Gaara in on everything that had happened since last they saw each other. In fact, he ended up filling the entire hour with recapping all the events. Naruto sighed.

"I guess I should get going," he said reluctantly. "I'm supposed to meet with the others now."

"Let me walk you to the gate," Gaara offered.

"Are you sure that's okay to do?" Naruto asked, and Gaara nodded.

"I can do anything I like, especially if I feel it's necessary. So let's go." Naruto smiled and nodded, then the two Jinchuuriki left. Temari and Kankurou joined them on the way, and the four of them met with the rest of Naruto's group at the gates to Suna.

"Thank you for visiting," Gaara said, mostly to Naruto. "You should stop by more often."

"I would," Naruto said, "if it weren't for the fact that it takes three days to get here."

"Well, good luck on the rest of your mission." As soon as Gaara said this, a sudden sandstorm started up.

"Aw, great," Shikamaru complained. "Now we'll be stuck here until the storm blows over."

"At least you weren't in the middle of the desert when it happened," Temari said. "Besides, you know you're always welcome to stay with us, you guys especially."

"The storm will make it difficult to track scents, even when it's over," Kiba remarked. "Everything will have shifted around. All footprints, all lingering smells..."

"No! No, this isn't allowed to happen!" Naruto exclaimed. He pointed outside of the village. "Sasuke is somewhere out there, having God knows what torture inflicted on him, and we're just going to sit quietly and waste time that could be spent searching for him?"

"Naruto, calm down," Sakura said softly.

"It's not fair!" Naruto yelled, ignoring Sakura. "Why does this kind of thing always have to happen? I hate it!" There was a hand on his shoulder, and he almost shrugged it off, before he realized it was Gaara. He just sighed and rubbed his face. "Why can't the universe just let me and Sasuke be happy? Why does there always have to be something in our way?"

"It'll be okay," Gaara said quietly. Naruto just looked at his feet. "I'm sure it'll work out. Things always work out okay for you."

There was a long pause. "It's true," Sakura said after a while.

"Whatever. Let's just go inside." Naruto walked back to the Kazekage tower. After a moment of hesitation, the others followed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Why are we walking to the other hideout?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, you're not technically walking, Sasuke-kun," Zetsu's white half pointed out. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut up, you know that's not what I meant." Though it was true, as Juugo was carrying Sasuke over his shoulder.

"We're walking because it's our only option," Madara said. "All our hideouts have a barrier to prevent anybody from simply appearing inside them, so we must walk."

"But wouldn't that make it easier to be tracked?" Sasuke asked, trying to hide the hope in his voice. From the way Madara looked back at him, however, he wasn't so sure it'd worked.

"There is nobody who could find us that I couldn't handle," the older Uchiha said. The tone of his voice made Sasuke shudder.

"We're going to have to stop for a while," Kisame said from up ahead. "There's a sandstorm going on, we wouldn't be able to find our way through it."

"There's a cave just over here," Madara replied, "we can stop there to wait out the storm."

The five of them went to the cave to which Madara was referring and settled in to wait. Madara took Sasuke from Juugo, then tied up the young Uchiha's wrists and ankles.

"Can't have you running away on us," he said in answer of Sasuke's unasked question.

Sasuke scoffed. "As if I'd be stupid enough to try and escape through a sandstorm," he said, looking away.

"As if I'd be stupid enough to give you the chance," Madara countered.

"Good one," Zetsu's white half said with a grin.

"Shut up," the black half told him.

Sasuke just sighed. _This is gonna be hell,_ he thought to himself.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto was pacing the room, constantly staring out the window.

"Naruto, sit down," Gaara said from where he was sitting.

"You're making me dizzy," Sakura added. Naruto glanced at his friends to see that all of them, aside from Neji, were staring at him. He stopped pacing, but stayed standing.

"How long do these things usually last, anyway?" he asked impatiently.

"It varies," Temari replied. "Sometimes they last minutes, other times, hours." Naruto groaned and leaned his forehead against the window, staring longingly outside.

"Just hold on, Sasuke," he mumbled quietly, unaware he was speaking out loud at all. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I've never seen him this agitated," Kiba whispered. "I mean, Naruto's never been the calmest of people, but this..."

"It's because it's Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, looking up at Naruto sadly. "He always gets so much more determined and focused when Sasuke-kun is involved, though I think it's even more so now than it was before."

"Well, of course," Shikamaru said. "After all, Sasuke and Naruto-kun are together now. I'm no expert on relationships, but I'd think that if two people are together and then torn apart suddenly, they'd both do anything they possibly could to be together again. With how Naruto-kun has always acted about Sasuke, it only makes sense that he'd be how he is right now."

"You talk too much sometimes," Temari remarked. Shikamaru smirked and looked at her.

"Says you," he countered. "You practically never shut up, yourself. Though you are a girl, so I suppose it makes sense."

Temari rolled her eyes. "You sure know how to charm a woman," she said sarcastically.

Gaara walked over to Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder for the second time that day, causing the blonde to turn and look. "Relax, Naruto," he insisted. "If you keep this up, you'll make yourself sick, and then you won't be in any shape to leave once the storm subsides."

Everyone was silent, staring at the two Jinchuuriki, who were staring at each other. Naruto was the first to look away, back out the window.

"You're the Kazekage, Gaara," he said quietly. "Don't you have something better to do than waste your time in here with us? It's not as if we can't entertain ourselves."

"If you'd like me to leave, you need only say so," Gaara replied. "I've stayed because you're my friend, and I wanted to be sure you're okay."

"Well, I'm fine, so you don't have to worry," Naruto almost snapped. "I just want to be left alone."

To the untrained eye, Gaara's expression didn't seem to have changed. However, anybody looking close enough would have seen the flash of hurt that showed briefly on the redhead's face. "Okay," he said simply. "I'll go." With that, he left the room. Temari frowned.

"You should be nicer to him," she said, "and not just because he's the Kazekage, though that plays a big part too. You're the only person he opens up to, the only one he lets see his true self. You should feel special, and not abuse that privilege by being rude to him."

"How am I being rude?" Naruto asked. "All I said was that I want to be left alone."

"He wants to help you!" Temari exclaimed. "He wants to try and comfort you! He's reaching out to you, something he's never done for anyone before!"

"Well, I don't want to be comforted!" Naruto yelled back. "I want to be left alone!"

"Naruto, calm down," Sakura said. "Temari-san, you too. There's no use in the two of you fighting. We should all just do what Naruto says and leave him alone."

Temari narrowed her eyes. "Fine," she spat, "but only because I don't feel like arguing anymore. You may have managed to earn Gaara's respect and friendship, Uzumaki Naruto, but if you continue to treat him like crap, I will hurt you." She left.

Shikamaru sighed. "This entire thing is such a drag," he mumbled, getting up as well. "Don't do anything stupid, Naruto-kun. Tsunade-sama is counting on us to keep you safe." He left as well. The others followed, aside from Sakura, who walked over to Naruto.

"Please calm down," she said softly. "It's like Gaara-kun said; if you keep worrying so much, then you'll make yourself sick, and you won't be in any shape to continue the search for Sasuke-kun when the storm finally ends."

"I appreciate your concern, Sakura-chan," Naruto said in a very quiet voice, not looking at her, "but I'll be fine. Besides, there's absolutely no way I'd let something like getting sick stop me from getting Sasuke back. You should know that by now."

Sakura sighed. "I figured you'd say something like that," she muttered. "Okay, well, in any case...if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. Just come find me." Naruto said nothing, so Sakura sighed again and left.

**Awww...poor Naruto...XP Blegh. I hate these kinds of chapters...the ones that seem like they're so short because they're not going anywhere. I wish I could skip it, but I really can't. It's very much necessary. Now for a couple notes before I post this:**

**I realized that I haven't really included much about the older generation – Kakashi, Iruka, Kurenai, all them – so I'm going to make an effort to involve those type of people more. Let's see...what else...oh, I probably won't be mentioning Kisame too much...in fact, I might just make an excuse for him to disappear soonish. He just doesn't exactly fit in with my style. Plus, I have a hard time trying to figure his character out. Though he does offer more chances for comedy relief...I can't rely on Zetsu the whole time. XP That's the downside I've found to killing off Suigetsu, is that my comic relief for that group is gone.**

**There were other things I wanted to say...oh yeah! I have no idea if the whole thing about being unable to poof (oh how I wanted to use that word in the actual story...too bad Madara doesn't seem the type of person to say it) into Akatsuki hideouts is actually true or not, but for the purpose of this fanfic, it is. Also, I apologize if I'm making Gaara sort of OOC...I just honestly don't think I am. I mean, he hasn't had much interaction with Naruto in the Shippuden anime, aside from the end of the first arc, and going off of that, I think this is sort of how Gaara would act around Naruto. **

**Also, I'm not entirely sure what Sakura would refer to any of the Suna shinobi as, seeing as it's been forever since I watched the subbed version of the first part of Shippuden, so I just sorta made something up. I hope it works, seeing as I didn't want to leave her as just calling them Temari and Gaara...she pretty much only doesn't add an honorific thingy for Naruto or Sai. XP**

**I think that was everything I wanted to say. I hope you all enjoyed it, and don't worry, thing start to pick up again next chapter. I think this might be my first ever real fanfic to make it to chapter 20...it's certainly seeming that way. Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Gah! I'm so sorry, everyone, I swear I thought this would be done sooner! I guess I wasn't counting on the homework load for this semester...oh well, it's done now, and that's what matters, right? Right. Before I get started, I've got to put a quick reply to the reviews sent by And here comes the chocobunny. I normally don't like replying to reviews in the chapters, but when I'm given anonymous reviews that I can't reply to on the site...well, I've really got no choice if I want to say something. XP**

**So thanks for the review! XP I might actually use some form of that Amaterasu idea in a later chapter...as far as how they'll manage to save Sasuke...you'll just have to wait and see. Lol. I will try my best to involve other villages, though Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo will be more difficult to put in than places like Suna and Konoha, seeing as we really don't get to know much about them. Well, aside from Kumo in more recent stuff. Who knows? Maybe Bee will make a guest appearance...**

**In regards to your review for "Filler Arc", I'm very glad you liked it! And yes, I totally agree with your hatred of SasuSaku. That and NaruSaku are my two least favourite pairings in the entire series, mostly because I really can't stand Sakura. NaruHina is...meh. I could take it or leave it. I mean, I'd prefer for Naruto to be with other people (like Sasuke or Gaara) but if they were to do something involving NaruHina, I wouldn't be totally upset with them...I do like Hinata, and want her to be happy to some degree...though I'd prefer if that happiness came from being with Kiba. XD And I'm definitely with you on that last note of the second SasuNaru kiss. That filler and the one with the kitty cats were my two favourites out of all those 20 fillers (yes, I counted. There are 20.) and really the only ones I liked.**

**Okay, enough with review replies! I'd better start typing this before I can come up with any other ways to procrastinate. Hey, you guys get to see more Kisame in this chapter! Yay! I hope I do him justice...Oh, one more quick note: this story has officially reached over 200 pages written out! Yay! In fact, this chapter ends on page 206, though it's really more 205, since there are only about two lines written on the next page...ANYWAY, moving on now. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 13**

Naruto stayed standing by the window, watching the sandstorm, until it got dark. Gaara walked in at that point.

"Naruto," he began, "you should come eat some dinner."

"Not hungry," Naruto mumbled. Right then, his stomach growled.

"Your body doesn't seem to agree with you on that," Gaara remarked. Naruto sighed and looked back at his friend.

"You do stuff with sand," he said, "can't you make the sandstorm stop?"

Gaara shook his head. "I've tried, a couple times, but it doesn't work. It's the wind that blows the sand around, not the sand moving of its own accord, and I can't do anything about the wind."

Naruto turned his attention back to the window, and his stomach growled again at the same time he yawned. "Please come eat some dinner," Gaara said. "Then, once that's done, I can show you to a room where you can sleep."

Naruto shook his head. "If I go to sleep, then I'll miss it when the storm stops, so I'll miss my chance to move on."

"I promise that I, personally, will come wake you if the storm breaks by morning."

Naruto thought about this for a moment, common sense warring with stubbornness. "Fine," he conceded eventually, "I'll come eat...and I suppose a little sleep wouldn't hurt either."

Gaara gave a very small, nearly non-existant smile, and nodded. "Then follow me," he said, and led Naruto to the dining hall area.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Let's go," Madara said suddenly, waking Sasuke from his uneasy sleep.

"But it's the middle of the night," Kisame complained. "Can't it wait til morning?" 

"No," Madara replied. "The storm only just blew over, and there's no telling when the next one may start. We should move on before it does."

"If you're so sure there will be another storm," Sasuke began, fully alert despite just having woken up, "then wouldn't the smart thing be to wait here and not risk getting caught in it?"

"We only have a short way left to go across the desert," Madara said, "so the chances of getting caught in a second sandstorm are very slim...if we leave immediately."

"Can you stand, Sasuke-kun?" Juugo asked, already on his feet.

"What does it matter?" Sasuke asked coldly, standing up. "Won't you have to carry me anyway, to make sure I don't escape or anything?"

"As long as your hands are bound, you won't be getting very far very fast," Madara said before Juugo could answer. "I don't want to have to keep treating you like a prisoner, so if you're able to walk, then you may walk."

"I got my chakra back a while ago," Sasuke said, "so I'm perfectly fine now."

"Then it's a good thing we haven't freed your hands yet," Madara remarked. "Come on, let's go." He walked out of the cave, and the others followed. Juugo stayed behind Sasuke to keep an eye on him, while Zetsu and Kisame walked on either side of the young Uchiha.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kiba sat on the roof of the Kazekage tower, absent mindedly stroking Akamaru, who lay at his feet. He was staring off into the distance, and he saw as soon as the sandstorm ended. He sighed.

"Guess that means we'll be going soon, hey boy?" he said to Akamaru. The big white dog raised his head to look at his master, then barked in agreement. "I suppose that's not a bad thing, though. I mean, it'll get my mind off of her." A gust of wind blew towards them, and the both lifted their heads, sniffing. Kiba's eyes widened. "That's...! But how? The storm should've swept all scents away..." He stood up and rushed inside.

"Where is Naruto sleeping?" Kiba demanded as he burst into Gaara's office, closely followed by Akamaru. Gaara looked up in surprise.

"I plan on letting him sleep until morning," he said simply. "He looked like he could use the sleep, so please don't wake him."

"Just tell me where he is, because if we don't wake him up now, he's going to be pissed later."

"What's this all about?" Gaara asked in suspicion.

"I caught a whiff of Sasuke's scent, and it's fresh," Kiba replied.

About five minutes later, Shikamaru, Sakura, Neji, Lee, Kiba, Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara were all standing in the room given to Naruto. Everybody watched as Kiba went over to wake his friend.

"Huh wha?" Naruto said eloquently as he opened his eyes. He blinked once or twice. "Why is everyone in here? Did the storm stop?"

"Yeah," Kiba replied, "but that's not all. Come on, we've got to get going."

Naruto got up, still in a daze, and followed his friends to the gates of Suna. "Wait," Gaara said once they all got there, making everyone turn and look at him. "I'll come with you."

"No, you won't," Temari said, shaking her head. "Your duty is to the village, you can't just go off on some mission that's not even yours to complete. The villagers wouldn't be able to cope without their Kazekage."

"You two could cover for me," Gaara suggested.

"Nuh uh," Kankurou said quickly. "Being Kazekage was your ambition, not ours. We're more than happy with the jobs we've got now, so don't go trying to push your responsibilities on us."

Gaara sighed, and now Naruto put a hand on his shoulder. "I promise I'll stop in after I've gotten Sasuke back, just so you'll know I'm okay." He smiled, and Gaara nodded.

"Okay. Don't get yourself killed." Naruto laughed at that.

"Oh, come on, Gaara, you know me better than that! As if I'd let myself be killed that easily. Nuh uh, not before I become Hokage."

"I will hold you to that promise," Gaara said with a faint smile.

"See ya later." Naruto gave Gaara a hug, lingering a little while. He smiled, then he and the rest of his team left, with Kiba and Akamaru taking the lead.

"Can you smell him yet?" Naruto asked, running up beside the two leaders.

"Yeah," Kiba replied, "and judging by how fresh the scent is, I'd say he's probably on the move. Or at least outside somewhere."

"Then that means he's not dead, right?" Naruto asked hopefully. Kiba took a while to respond, and when he did, it sounded like he was picking his words very carefully.

"Not necessarily," the brunette said slowly. "All I can tell from this distance is that he's outside, I can't smell any blood or anything to say..." he saw the panicked expression on his friend's face, and quickly stopped that sentence. "I mean...I'm sure he's fine."

"Kiba," Shikamaru said, "stop freaking Naruto-kun out."

"Hey, he asked. I just gave an honest answer." Nobody really said much after that.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"They're on the move again," Zetsu whispered to Madara while the group was stopped. "And they seem to have found Sasuke-kun's scent. At the rate they're traveling, they'll probably catch up to us really soon."

"That wouldn't be a problem," Madara said quietly, "as there's no way they could hope to defeat me, which they'd need to do in order to get Sasuke-kun back. However...I don't particularly want to fight, and it would only end badly if they were to catch us at our hideout...we'll need a diversion."

Zetsu looked over at Sasuke, who was sitting against a tree with his ankles and wrists bound. His head was down, and it was obvious that he was too lost in his own thoughts to pay any attention to what was going on. A slow smile crept across Zetsu's face.

"I think I have an idea," he said, both halves speaking at the same time.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I think we're almost there," Kiba said after a couple hours. "The smell is getting stronger."

"Hang on, Sasuke, I'm coming for you," Naruto mumbled, a look of extreme determination crossing his face. "Neji, can you see him?" he asked, looking back at the Hyuuga. Neji focused his Byakugan far ahead of them.

"Oh no," he said softly.

"What?" Naruto demanded. "What's wrong?"

"It looks like we're too late."

"What?" Naruto ran up in front of the others.

"Naruto-kun, wait!" Shikamaru called, but the Jinchuuriki paid no attention.

"SASUKE!" Naruto yelled, seeing the young Uchiha laying face first on the ground, covered in blood. Naruto ran up to his boyfriend, kneeling beside him and rolling him over. He stroked Sasuke's cheek, looking at him tenderly, but there was no response.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed as she and the others ran up. She knelt on Sasuke's other side, and began using her medical ninjutsu. Naruto took one of Sasuke's hands and held it close to his chest.

"Hang in there, Sasuke, Sakura-chan will heal you up," Naruto said quietly. Sakura looked up with tears streaking down her face.

"Naruto," she whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Naruto blinked. "Why are you apologizing? You're not the one who did this to him. Now come on, heal him up and let's go."

"I...I can't," she said simply.

"What're you talking about? Of course you can! You're one of Konoha's best medical shinobi, aside from Grandma Tsunade."

"No...Naruto, he's dead."

Naruto stared at Sakura for a long moment, then laughed. "Good one, Sakura-chan," he said. "Go on, heal him now."

"I'm not joking. Sasuke-kun is dead."

Naruto's laughter died down, and he just looked down at Sasuke's face. He stroked it again, and silent tears spilled over from his eyes before turning into full on sobs. He buried his face in Sasuke's chest, ignoring the blood there, and cried. Sakura put a hand on his back, rubbing it softly, and he just let her, not responding at all to it.

"Wait a minute," Shikamaru said, "this doesn't make sense. For one, why isn't there any sign of a battle?"

"Maybe the battle was elsewhere, and the body was placed here to prevent us from nearing where the Akatsuki are," Neji suggested.

"That's a possibility," Shikamaru acknowledged, "but it also doesn't make sense that someone as powerful as Sasuke would let himself get killed."

"Even the greatest of shinobi get killed eventually," Lee pointed out.

"Well, why would this Madara guy go through all the trouble of coming to Konoha to take Sasuke away, only to kill him?" Shikamaru asked. Nobody had a response to that.

"The trail has gone completely cold," Kiba said. "I smelled four other scents mingled with Sasuke's but those are gone now. They've totally disappeared."

"You smelled them up to this point?" Shikamaru asked, and Kiba nodded in confirmation. Shikamaru frowned. "That's odd...unless maybe they transported themselves away and just left Sasuke's body laying here?"

A low growl emanated from deep within Naruto's throat, causing everyone to look at the blonde. He was now looking up, the fierce expression on his face covered with a mixture of tears and Sasuke's blood. "I'll kill that bastard," he vowed quietly, his whole body shaking, and in less than a second, he was in his four tailed form. He took off like a rocket, sniffing the air as he ran.

"N-Naruto, wait!" Sakura exclaimed, and ran after him. The others followed, leaving Sasuke's body where it lay.

"How in the hell does he think he's going to manage to sniff them out when neither Akamaru nor I can?" Kiba wondered out loud while they ran.

"I doubt he's thinking at all right now, Kiba," Shikamaru pointed out.

"Not my fault he can't handle something like this," Kiba muttered defensively.

"If I recall correctly," Lee began, "you did not handle the death of Hinata-chan too well either, Kiba-kun."

Kiba glared at Lee. "Oh, shut up," he snapped. "I handled it better than he is."

"It's not important who can handle what," Shikamaru said quickly, before the argument could get any more heated. "What's important is that we get to Naruto-kun before he can do something stupid, and hopefully – if we're lucky – get him back to normal."

"If only Yamato-teichou were here," Sakura said wistfully. "He'd definitely be able to put Naruto back to his normal self."

The group finally found where Naruto was going, and by now the Jinchuuriki had advanced to seven tails. "I don't believe it," Kiba said in total awe. "He actually managed to find them."

Sure enough, Madara, Zetsu, Kisame, and Juugo were all standing before them.

"This could be interesting," Madara said, staring straight at Naruto. "It's been a while since I've gotten to fight the Kyuubi. Perhaps I should draw it out some more..." Naruto growled in response, but stood his ground.

"I thought you didn't want to fight," Zetsu's white half said in confusion. Madara shrugged.

"I changed my mind," he said simply, his eye still focused on Naruto. "Did you like our distraction?" he asked the Jinchuuriki, making Naruto growl again.

"Shut up!" Sakura cried out. "How dare you do something like that!" 

"It was a shame I had to kill Sasuke-kun," Madara continued, completely ignoring Sakura. "He had such potential...until you lot kidnapped him. He just hasn't been the same since I managed to get him back, not nearly as obedient as I would have liked. So I disposed of him."

Naruto roared loudly as the eighth tail formed. His friends all looked at him in concern.

"Calm down, Naruto-kun," Shikamaru said urgently. "He's just trying to bait you, trying to force you into letting the Kyuubi out."

"He can't hear you," Kisame said with a grin. "There's no stopping him, nobody can get through to him now."

The sound of footsteps came from behind Kisame. "Maybe I can try," a voice said.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto stood in front of the gate which held back the Kyuubi, staring at the bijuu with tears still covering his face. "Well, go on then," the Kyuubi said impatiently, "take the seal off. What are you waiting for?"

"He's dead," Naruto mumbled, as he had been doing for the past long while. "He's dead...he's dead..."

"We've been over this many times already," the Kyuubi said with an exasperated sigh. "Yes, he's dead. So what's stopping you from releasing me fully? You've got nothing left to live for, nobody to protect. Your life is meaningless now."

"He's dead..."

"Naruto!" a voice called. Naruto didn't acknowledge that he heard it.

"Dead...dead...dead..."

The Kyuubi growled. "Just do it already!" it exclaimed. Naruto took a step forward, his arm outstretched.

"Naruto, don't do it!" cried the same voice. This time, Naruto stopped what he was doing.

"How did...?" he wondered quietly. "Is it really...?"

"TAKE THE DAMN SEAL OFF!" the Kyuubi roared.

"Use your damn head, baka!" the voice continued. "If you let that thing out, you'll probably be killed! Is that really what you want?"

"Killed..." Naruto repeated, looking down at his feet. "Then I'll be dead, too."

"Yeah, that's what 'killed' means," the voice said. Naruto could practically hear the eyeroll in the words. "I know we've had this argument before, so just stop being such a moron!" By now, the voice was coming from directly behind Naruto. The blonde finally turned to look.

"S-Sasuke..." he whispered. "No...this must be my imagination. I'll just...I'll close my eyes, and when I open them again, you'll be gone, because this is all just in my head." He did as he said he would, but when he reopened his eyes, Sasuke was still standing there, his eyes Sharingan red. The Uchiha rolled his eyes.

"Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?" he said. Naruto just stared at him in complete confusion, and Sasuke sighed. "Don't listen to that thing, leave the seal right where it is and force all the Kyuubi's chakra back. I know you can do it, Naruto, so hurry up already. Things aren't exactly going too great out here."

Naruto took a deep breath and nodded, then closed his eyes and concentrated on forcing the Kyuubi back.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As soon as Sasuke had walked out, he'd activated his Sharingan and gotten close enough to stare Naruto directly in the eyes. The reaction to seeing him seemingly come back from the dead was very mixed, especially when coupled with the fact that the young Uchiha wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes wide and filled with tears. "But how did...I know you were dead!"

Madara's head snapped in Juugo's direction. "How did he get out?" he demanded, not too pleased. "I told you to tie him up tightly."

Juugo shrugged. "I guess I'm just done listening to you," he said simply. "I follow Sasuke-kun. That's how it's been from the start, and that's how it will be from now on."

"Oh, I see," Shikamaru said quietly. "You never killed Sasuke, did you?"

Madara looked over. "Very good. You're right, of course, but why don't you tell me exactly what you think I did?"

"It's simple, you did exactly what I would've if I were ever faced with that situation," Shikamaru replied. "You used the body of some other dead shinobi, then transformed it to look identical to Sasuke. You somehow knew that we have a tracker who uses scents, so you took the real Sasuke's shirt and put it on the dead body to make sure we would believe it was the real deal."

Madara started slow, mocking applause. "You're completely correct. Now, just what are you going to do with that information? It won't save any of you when you're fighting me."

"Who said anything about us fighting you?" Kiba asked, a hand on Akamaru's back.

"We're here for Sasuke-kun," Sakura added, "and nothing else."

Madara laughed. "Do you honestly think I would let you take him without at least fighting first?"

"Then let us fight," Lee said. "We can win for sure!"

"Shouldn't we maybe wait for Naruto and Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"I don't think we'll have a choice," Shikamaru said. "I'm not sure how much longer something like that will take." He gestured to where Sasuke was crouched in front of Naruto. As they all stared, the eighth tail slowly started to disappear, then the seventh, and the skeletal exterior. Soon enough, Naruto was completely himself again, though his top layer of skin was missing. Sasuke released his Sharingan.

"Told you you could do it," he said quietly to the blonde, who grinned back in response.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "You're back!"

"Well, that's disappointing," Madara said. "I was looking forward to fighting with the Kyuubi again."

Naruto looked over at Madara, glaring at the older man. "Shut up, you bastard, or I'll have to kill you," he growled.

"Don't be stupid," Sasuke said. "There's no way you can kill him, especially not in your current state."

"But with all of us to help him," Kiba began, and Lee finished the statement.

"We will win no matter what!" he said triumphantly. Juugo walked over and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, causing the Uchiha boy to turn and look.

"I'll help too," he said quietly, and Sasuke nodded.

"Good. Well, if we're really going to do this, let's get it done."

"Mind if I take care of them?" Kisame asked Madara. "I've been itching for a fight for a long time."

"Be my guest," Madara replied, "just don't get yourself killed like the rest of our group has."

Kisame laughed. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about the kids here." 

"As long as you don't kill either the Jinchuuriki or Sasuke-kun," Madara said sternly. "We still need them both."

"Got it," Kisame said, showing off his pointed teeth. "Prepare yourselves, kids," he said to the group of Naruto's friends. "You're all about to die."

**There we go! It's finally typed up! XP Now, I warn you all, I suck with battle scenes, so don't get your hopes up too high for next chapter, alright? Oh, one other thing...I'm about 99.9 percent sure that "-teichou" is the correct thing to translate to "captain", but if I'm wrong, somebody please correct me and I'll fix it. But yay! More Kisame scenes! I think that's all I've got to say here...except for REVIEW! Oh, And here comes the chocobunny, it would be really helpful to me if you would make an account on here...just so that way I don't have to reply to your reviews in the chapters. XP Of course, it's completely up to you. I dunno when the next chappie will be up...I've got a pretty busy schedule for the next while, since I'm involved in a lot of extra-curricular thingies that are all performing at relatively the same time. Ugh.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, my lovelies! I realize it's been a while (again) and I apologize (again). XP I was asked by a friend to draw a picture for her for her birthday last week, and then I got into a drawing kick. I've been drawing more than I've been writing. Lol. So yesterday I randomly decided that I felt like re-reading this fic (because I'm a nerd like that) and it gave me the inspiration to write more. And so I did. XP I wrote almost this entire chapter in one day. Yay me! I hope you enjoy it...oh, there's gonna be a lime and implied lemon a little later on in this. **

**Oh, just so you're all aware, today also just so happens to be Konan's birthday, so wish her a Happy Birthday however you feel like! A good place to start would be to read the tribute fic I posted for her in my "A Series of Birthdays"...XP I'm so bad...advertising a fanfic in a different fanfic...meh. Not like I haven't done it before. Lol. Now on with this chapter! And don't blame me for the crappiness of this battle, I know I've said before how much I suck at writing them.**

**Chapter 14**

Kisame drew his sword and rushed straight over to Naruto, who was still kneeling on the ground. Immediately, Sasuke, Lee, Kiba, and Juugo were standing in front of Naruto to protect him. Sakura quickly rushed over and began healing the blonde.

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan," he said dismissively, getting up carefully. "Let me fight."

"Don't be stupid," she said, "you're in no condition to fight. Sit down and let me heal you."

"Yes, leave the fighting to us," Lee said, glancing back briefly at his two friends before turning his attention back to the fight at hand. The others, aside from Shikamaru and Neji, were fighting their best to keep Kisame away from Naruto.

"I heal quickly," Naruto reminded everyone. "I'll be perfectly fine in a couple minutes, you'll see."

"We don't have a couple minutes," Sakura argued. She forced him to sit, and began healing him. Naruto grumbled, but allowed it. Madara and Zetsu both stayed out of the way, letting Kisame have his own battle.

"If you give me the Jinchuuriki," Kisame said, swinging his sword at Lee who dodged at the last second, "then I'll consider sparing you all."

Kiba laughed humourlessly. "As if we'd hand Naruto over to the likes of you." He and Akamaru did their Fang Over Fang, and managed to hit Kisame with it. All three of them went crashing into a large boulder, and Zetsu's white half laughed.

"That's what you get for making such bold accusations," he remarked. Madara shook his head slowly.

"It seems you've lost your touch, Kisame," he said. "Perhaps you should let me take care of it now." In a flash, Madara was standing directly in front of the newly healed Naruto, currently being helped up by Sakura. Both shinobi froze as they saw Madara there. He chuckled a little, then got right in their faces.

"Boo," he said, then laughed as Naruto and Sakura flinched.

"Get away from them, you bastard!" Sasuke commanded, running towards Madara with a Chidori in hand. Madara stepped out of the way just in time, though Sasuke's attack gave everyone an opportunity to come over and, once again, protect Naruto.

"Guys, I'm fine now, you don't need to save me any more," Naruto said, pushing his friends aside gently.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Kiba said. "We've got your back."

"And I've got a plan," Shikamaru said, walking over to join the group finally.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto stood completely still, eyes closed, focusing intently. All his friends, as well as Juugo, stood in a protective circle around him.

"I see you have a strategy of some kind," Madara noted, "though how you think it will help is beyond me. Your chances of winning are still the same; zero."

"We have fought and survived through worse odds than that before," Lee said confidently. "We can do this, no problem!"

"For once, I have to say I agree with you, Lee," Kiba said, surprising even himself. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Regardless of what you think, you're all still kids, and therefore have no hope of beating me." With that statement, Madara came running at them. Kisame ran at the other side of the circle, sword drawn and trailing behind him. Instantly, Kisame was frozen, caught in Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu.

"That sword is a nuisance," Shikamaru decided, and made Kisame drop it. He then used Shadow Sewing to grab the sword and throw it as far away as he could manage, which was quite far considering its weight.

"You little bastard!" Kisame announced, looking at Shikamaru in surprise. "Let go of me, right now!" Shikamaru didn't reply, just focused all his efforts on maintaining the jutsu for as long as he could.

"This part wasn't exactly thought out too well," Kiba said from the other side of the circle. They were managing to keep Madara out, but finding it very difficult not to break their formation to do so. "We're pretty much all close-range shinobi over here."

It was true, of course. On that side stood Kiba and Akamaru, Lee, Neji, and almost Sasuke. Sasuke was at the very head of the circle, directly in front of Naruto. "Well, figure something out," Shikamaru said in response. "You've all got brains, and you know your own abilities far better than I do."

Sasuke did a little half turn so that he was facing the direction Madara was attacking from. "Chidori Stream!" he called out, sending the jutsu out towards the other Uchiha. Madara just barely dodged in time.

"Quick thinking, Sasuke-kun," he said, impressed. Suddenly, he was gone. He reappeared between Sasuke and Sakura, in the gap that Sasuke had been forced to make. Sasuke's eyes widened and he turned. "But now I've gotten in. What are you going to do about it?"

"Aren't you ready yet, Naruto-kun?" Shikamaru asked. His arms and legs were trembling, and he was sweating, all from the strain of maintaining his jutsu.

"Just another minute or so," Naruto mumbled in response. Sasuke stabbed Madara in the stomach with a kunai, but the older man just dodged it.

"Nice try, but you need to be a lot faster than that to even come close to hurting me."

"How about now?" Shikamaru asked Naruto as he looked back at his friend. Naruto didn't respond right away, but then he opened his eyes, which now closely resembled those of a toad. He had the additional red outline around his eyes as well.

"Ready," he said, now fully in Sage Mode. He created two Shadow Clones at the same time as Shikamaru released his jutsu and the circle broke up. Neji went straight for Kisame, his Byakugan activated to aid him. Juugo rushed to Sasuke's side, helping in the fight against Madara. "Out of the way," Naruto commanded, releasing his clones. Sasuke and Juugo both jumped away from Madara. "Wind Style: Rasen-Shuriken!" Naruto threw the jutsu straight at Madara, whose visible eye widened.

"Impossible," he breathed as the jutsu hit. Everybody stopped what they were doing and stared in awe. _Absolutely amazing,_ Shikamaru thought to himself. Once the Rasen-Shuriken cleared, Madara fell to the ground, on his back.

"Now, Sasuke," Shikamaru called.

"Already on it," Sasuke said, running a bit closer to where Madara lay. He shut his eyes briefly, then opened his left one, which now had his Mangekyou Sharingan. "Amaterasu," he said softly, and black flames smothered Madara. Soon after that, however, Sasuke dropped to his knees with a hand covering his eye, which was now tightly shut and bleeding.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing over to kneel beside his boyfriend.

"I'm fine," the Uchiha insisted, looking at Naruto with his right eye, which was normal. "This happens every time I use that jutsu, it's fine."

"Well, no, it's not fine," Naruto argued. "If using a jutsu hurts you like that, you shouldn't use it. If you're not careful, you won't be able to see anymore, let alone use any Sharingan."

Sasuke's open eye narrowed, and he stood up. "I said I'm fine," he repeated. He wiped the blood off his face and opened his other eye, also back to normal. _I already know all that,_ he thought. Naruto stared at him in concern, but Sasuke looked away. "We're done here," he said to the others. "There's no need to fight these two, they're no threat to us."

"I'm the leader of this mission," Shikamaru said, "so I'll decide what's necessary and what isn't."

Sasuke shrugged. "Sure, fine. Do whatever, just don't blame me for what happens if you decide to fight them." Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and shook him a little.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "Did they brainwash you or something?"

"What the hell are you going on about?" Sasuke asked calmly, pushing Naruto away. "They didn't do anything to me." He looked down.

"Then what happened? You've changed again..." Sasuke looked back up, staring straight into Naruto's eyes.

"Now is not the time to talk about anything like this," he said after a moment.

"Alright, let's go," Shikamaru announced, drawing the two boys' attention back over there. "Our mission says nothing about fighting with any Akatsuki. We were told to find where Sasuke was taken and bring him back, so let's complete the other half of that."

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Naruto said, glancing over at Sasuke.

"We have to take Juugo too," the Uchiha said, looking directly at Shikamaru. "I won't leave him here."

"Sasuke-kun, you really don't have to do that," Juugo said, though it was obvious he was happy about Sasuke's words.

"You've got nowhere else to go, Juugo," Sasuke said. "You're coming with us." Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, come on, it'll be great!" he said.

"Okay, fine, whatever you say," Shikamaru agreed. "Let's just get going before he wakes up." Here, he gestured towards Madara. The black flames of Amaterasu had been extinguished shortly after Sasuke had closed his eye. "I don't believe for a second that he's dead." The group of shinobi left without another word.

Zetsu walked over to where Madara lay. "Such strong kids," his white half remarked. "To have been able to reduce him to this? That takes talent."

"It was luck," his black half argued. "It was only because the Jinchuuriki pulled that jutsu and startled us all."

"The jutsu was still fairly strong," the white half pointed out. "Startled or not, it did a large amount of damage in a short amount of time. Add Sasuke-kun's Amaterasu on top of that, and it's no surprise that this happened."

"Let's just take him inside," the black half said, and so Zetsu picked Madara's limp body up and carried it inside the hideout. Kisame followed.

"What do we do about Sasuke and the Jinchuuriki?" he asked at Zetsu deposited Madara on the ground.

"We wait until Madara-sama wakes," both halves said in unison. "He'll decide what happens then," the black half continued. Kisame heaved a huge sigh, then sat down.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once Naruto and the others returned to Konoha, they headed straight to the Hokage tower to inform Tsunade of what happened.

"I see," she said once they were done. "And what do you expect me to do with him?" she asked, glancing at Juugo. She then looked at Sasuke. "I assume you already know all about his reputation and everything?"

"I'm the only one who can help him control his urge to kill," Sasuke replied, his face completely expressionless. "I assure you he won't be a problem."

"It's true," Naruto confirmed. "I saw Sasuke stop Juugo a lot back when..." He didn't finish the thought, but everyone knew what he was talking about. He was referring to the time when he'd been Sasuke's captive. Tsunade sighed.

"I'll have him interrogated, to see if he has any new information on the Akatsuki, and after that he is your responsibility, Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto, since Sasuke is still your responsibility, that means you're also indirectly responsible for anything Juugo does."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "What? But why? How is that fair?"

"Does it need to be fair?" Tsunade snapped. "Those are my orders. Now everyone leave! Shizune, take Juugo to be interrogated."

"Yes, milady!" Shizune said, then did as she was told. Everybody else left as well.

"Sasuke, will you tell me what's wrong now?" Naruto asked once the two of them had returned to Sasuke's house.

"Nothing's wrong," the Uchiha replied, laying on his bed with his arms behind his head and one knee up. Naruto sat on the bed beside him, looking at him.

"You've gone back to the way you were before," he said. "Do you really expect me to believe that nothing's wrong?"

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked, rolling over onto his side so he was facing Naruto.

"You seriously haven't noticed?" the blonde asked incredulously. "You've been all secretive, and haven't said much of anything. You won't answer when I try to ask you something."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm answering now, aren't I? And just because I haven't said much doesn't mean I've gone back to the way I was, baka. It just means I haven't felt like saying much."

"Prove it," Naruto challenged. "Prove to me that you're still the same Sasuke as you were before that bastard took you away."

In response, Sasuke smirked and pulled Naruto so he was laying down too. Sasuke then held the blonde close and kissed him passionately. Naruto hesitated for a split second, then returned the kiss just as passionately, hands reaching up to twine in Sasuke's hair. Sasuke rolled them over so that he was on top, and began kissing down Naruto's neck. Naruto tilted his head back to give his boyfriend more room, grinning as he did so.

"I...I suppose this is good enough proof," he breathed.

"Shut up," Sasuke commanded. "No talking right now." He then continued, and Naruto didn't object.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Some time later, as Naruto and Sasuke lay on the bed close together, they heard a knock on the front door of the house. Sasuke went to get up, but Naruto wouldn't let him.

"No," he mumbled sleepily, "don't go. I'm comfy like this."

Sasuke smiled and turned over so he was facing the blonde. He kissed him tenderly, then got up and began collecting his clothes. "I'll only be a moment," he assured Naruto, "don't worry." Naruto whined quietly, but said nothing more.

Sasuke left the room once he was dressed again, and went to the front door. He opened it to find Sakura and Juugo standing there.

"H-hello, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, smiling at him and blushing. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she added as she took in the messiness of his hair, and the fact that his clothes looked hastily put on.

"I assume you were told to bring Juugo here?" Sasuke asked, getting right to the point and ignoring Sakura's statement.

"Oh...right. Yes, that's what I'm here for," Sakura confirmed, nodding her head. "So...ummm...yeah, here he is." She left before anyone could say anything. Sasuke sighed.

"Well, come in, Juugo," he said, moving out of the way so his friend could enter.

"Thank you so much for this, Sasuke-kun," Juugo said as he walked in. Sasuke scratched the back of his head and closed the door.

"It's not a problem, really," he said. "Now let me find a room for you to sleep in." He walked down the hall, and Juugo followed. As they passed Sasuke's room, Naruto stepped out, wearing only his pants.

"What's going on?" he asked, then noticed Juugo and smiled. "Oh, they let you out already," he noted. Juugo nodded, a small smile on his face as well.

"Yes. I'll be glad to be spending more time with you, Naruto-kun," he said. Naruto laughed.

"Really? Most of the time, people can't wait to get away from me."

"In here, Juugo," Sasuke called, and Juugo quickly went to him. "This was once the guest room," Sasuke said, gesturing to the room in front of them. "Now it'll be yours."

"Thank you," Juugo said again. He walked inside, looking all around. "I think I'll go to sleep now."

Sasuke nodded. "Go right ahead. I was thinking of doing the same." Juugo smiled.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun," he said, and Sasuke left, shutting the door behind him. When he got back to his room, Naruto was already in bed waiting for him.

"So why the guest room?" the blonde asked curiously. Sasuke stripped himself of his clothes once again, then climbed into bed next to Naruto.

"The only three rooms aside from this one are my parents' room, Itachi's room, and the guest room," Sasuke explained. "Juugo isn't quite close enough of a friend for me to allow him to sleep in a room previously belonging to my family, and I'm not going to make him sleep on the couch." He smirked. "Hell, I don't think I'd let even you sleep in either Itachi's or my parents' room."

Naruto frowned. "Why not? Am I not close enough either?"

"Well, you sure wouldn't be if you were over there." Sasuke pulled Naruto tight to him. Naruto smiled and rested his head on Sasuke's chest.

"Oh, I get it now," he whispered. "I thought you were dissing me or something."

"I know." Sasuke kissed Naruto's temple. "That's why I said it." The two of them lay there in content silence, and Sasuke was nearly asleep, when Naruto spoke again.

"Sasuke?" he began. "Did Madara...what did he do when he took you away?"

Sasuke was silent for a long while. "I'd really rather not talk about it," he said finally.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Who says it was bad? I just don't want to talk about it now."

"Oh, so does that mean you'll tell me later?"

Sasuke sighed in frustration. "Just drop it and go to sleep, Naruto."

"Only if you promise you'll tell me later," Naruto said stubbornly.

"Fine, I promise. Now go to sleep."

There was silence again for another moment. "I...Sasuke...I love you, Sasuke," Naruto said tentatively. Sasuke didn't answer right away, and Naruto almost thought he'd fallen asleep, when he finally spoke.

"I said, go to sleep," Sasuke said harshly. Naruto's heart sank, and he rolled over, away from the Uchiha.

"Goodnight," he mumbled brokenly, and squeezed his eyes shut. Soon enough, both boys were asleep.

**Awwww...poor Naruto. The first time he tells Sasuke he loves him, and Sasuke completely disregards it. Sigh. Well, how did you like it? I'm planning on making this fanfic be at least 6 more chapters, though I'm not sure how well that will work...I know my ending already, it's just a matter of how much other stuff I can think of to put in before that happens. So review now, while there's still something to review for! XP There will definitely be two more chapters, if not the whole six I want, so you don't have to worry just yet. Anyway, please let me know what you thought, and if you have any random little ideas now that everyone's back in Konoha! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Yay! I'm back! And it wasn't as long a break this time! Okay, so I'm about to get into a very hectic time of my life (the musical I'm in begins in a couple days), so therefore I apologize in advance if the updates take longer than normal. I'll try to still be fairly regular, but I dunno how well that's gonna work. Aside from the coming weeks, I'm thinking I can probably put this on a weekly schedule. So every Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on the length of the chapter and my personal schedule) you can expect an update. Likely Wednesdays, because Tuesday nights I go to bed early so that way I can watch the newest Glee before falling asleep. Yes, I'm a Gleek. Shoot me. XD**

**This chapter...Naruto is kinda OOC, and so is Sasuke at a couple points, so I apologize for that. But hey, at least I warned you! Now I'll shut up so you can read. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 15**

The next morning, Naruto woke to find Sasuke already gone. He got up and slid a pair of pants on, then walked into the living room, where he saw Juugo and Sasuke sitting and talking quietly.

"Morning," he said to announce his presence. Juugo looked up.

"Oh, you're finally awake, Naruto-kun," he said with a smile. "I was just wondering if we should go in and wake you up."

"It's already noon, Naruto," Sasuke said, not looking at the blonde. "If you really need this much sleep, then you should go to bed earlier."

"But then I'll waste most of the night," Naruto argued.

"Well, that's better than missing most of the day, which you are this way," Sasuke snapped, still not looking.

Naruto began to say something, then stopped and chuckled. "Hey, wasn't it the other way around before?"

This finally got Sasuke's attention, and he looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Back at the beginning. When I first brought you here, remember? You were sleeping for such a long time, and I had to go wake you up?"

Sasuke had to smile a little at that. "Yeah. I remember. But I had an excuse; I didn't fall asleep until early morning. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is."

Naruto shook his head. "Never mind." He walked over and sat between Sasuke and Juugo. "So...what are we going to do today?" he asked.

"Do we have to 'do' anything?" Sasuke countered, looking straight at Naruto. The blonde bit his lip and looked down.

"I guess not," he mumbled. Sensing the tension in the room, Juugo stood up.

"I'll be back," he said, then left. After a moment, Naruto looked back up. Sasuke had suddenly become fascinated by the bits of dirt under his fingernails.

"Look, Sasuke," Naruto began quietly, "about last night...I-"

"Don't say anything," Sasuke interrupted. "Just don't. I'm not going to discuss this with you."

Naruto frowned. "Well, maybe I want to talk about it," he said. "I'm curious to know just exactly what I said that's made things so very awkward between us, and if there's anything I can do to fix it, because I hate this."

"I said I'm not going to discuss this with you," Sasuke repeated angrily.

"And why not?" Naruto demanded. "We're never going to move forward if we never talk about stuff."

"We talk about plenty of 'stuff' as you put it," Sasuke argued, "I just don't particularly want to talk about this. Now shut up and drop it."

Naruto looked down at his hands, and was silent for a moment. "It was true," he muttered. "What I said last night. It was true."

Sasuke stood quickly, his hands flying up in frustration. "Why do you insist on pissing me off?" he exclaimed, glaring at Naruto. "When I say to drop a topic, you'd better damn well listen! I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. This! Get that through your thick skull already, Naruto!" He stormed out of the room and slammed the front door shut. Naruto let his head drop farther, fighting tears.

Juugo walked back in, then stopped. "Where did Sasuke-kun go?" he asked hesitantly.

"Outside," Naruto mumbled in response, not looking up. He flinched slightly as he heard the door close a second time, though much gentler than before. _Dammit,_ he thought, _why am I so stupid? Why couldn't I just leave well enough alone and drop it when he told me to?_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke was sitting on the dock by his house, staring out at the water and trying to sort through the onslaught of memories that invaded his thoughts. He didn't turn when he heard Juugo approach.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" the older teen asked. Sasuke remained silent, so Juugo continued. "It seems as though you get along worse with Naruto-kun now than you did before. Did something happen between you two?" Again, there was no response. Juugo sighed and sat down beside Sasuke, who shuffled over to give him more room.

"He told me he loved me," Sasuke said after a long while. Juugo looked at the Uchiha in surprise, but Sasuke's eyes remained focused straight ahead. "I'm not ready to hear that from anybody, let alone from him."

"I'm sensing there's more to this story than what I know," Juugo said, and Sasuke sighed.

"I don't even know why I'm talking about this," he mumbled, drawing his knees close to his body.

_Neither do I,_ Juugo thought silently. Out loud, he said, "If you don't want to, there's no need to. I won't pry."

"I know you won't, but that's the weirdest part," Sasuke said, looking up finally. "I do want to talk about it, and I have no clue why. I hate talking about myself or my feelings." Juugo saw something strange in Sasuke's eyes; a sort of lonely, vulnerable, emptiness. Bewildered by this foreign expression, it took Juugo a moment to say anything.

"Okay...if you want to talk about it...why does it bother you so much to hear Naruto-kun say he loves you?"

Sasuke sighed again and looked away. "I don't know...since my family was killed, the only people who've said they love me are those annoying girls like Sakura and Ino. Girls who only think they have feelings for me because of my looks, my abilities, and my fame. I've heard the words spoken so many times by those type of people that...now they just sound fake."

Juugo was silent, absorbing all this. "Well, the answer is simple," he said, and Sasuke stared at him in surprise.

"It is? Then what is it?"

"You care about Naruto-kun, and whatever relationship you've established with him. You just said you associate the words 'I love you' with the annoying, fake girls. It should be fairly obvious; you don't want to place Naruto-kun in the same category as those girls. You don't want to think of him as you do them, because you like what you've got with him."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "You really think that's what it is?" Juugo just nodded in response. "But the way that Naruto said it...it was different from how the girls have said it. The way he said it, there was a sort of tenderness there, and he was kind of hesitant, as if he was trying to figure out whether he should say it or not. The tone didn't sound fake, but the words have lost all meaning to me."

"The fact that you picked up so completely on Naruto-kun's tone just proves my point," Juugo told him. "I can tell you've been replaying the scene in your head over and over since it happened."

Sasuke was silent for a while, and turned his gaze back out to the water. "You're a very deep thinking guy, Juugo," he said quietly. Juugo shrugged.

"I see a lot more than most others do," he said simply. "Now, while you're in the mood to talk about things, why don't you tell me about Konoha? Or maybe even a bit about you and your past? It seems you know all about me, but I know barely anything about you."

Sasuke hesitated, then sighed yet again. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Many hours later, Naruto decided to go looking for Sasuke, as neither he nor Juugo had returned. The blonde walked outside, looking all over, when he finally found them sitting on the dock. As he walked up, he heard Sasuke laugh, which made him freeze. _I thought he said that I'm the only one who gets to hear him laugh,_ Naruto thought to himself. Before he could think too much more about it, Juugo turned and spotted him.

"Oh, Naruto-kun," he said with a fading smile. "How long have you been standing there?"

Naruto frowned. "Only for about a minute," he replied, and Juugo looked relieved. "Why do you ask?"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke said, turning around as well. "What do you need, dobe?"

"Oh, I see we're back to name-calling again," Naruto noted. "Well, in case you forgot, Sasuke, the deal was that you'd be allowed to live as long as you stayed with me. That means you can't leave my sight for more than a couple minutes."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you come looking for me sooner?" he asked with an amused tone.

"Well...I...you...I figured you'd want to be left alone, and so I respected that, like a good boyfriend should," Naruto said defensively.

"I never agreed to being your boyfriend," Sasuke informed the blonde. "Besides, if you're the one who decided to leave me alone, you can't very well get mad at me for not being in your sight."

"You did so agree!" Naruto argued. "That morning we watched all those movies, remember? You asked if I wanted to be your boyfriend, and I said yes!"

"Ah, but I never said that I'd be your boyfriend," Sasuke pointed out. "Think about it. You'll remember." Naruto did as he was told, and Sasuke waited. Juugo fidgeted uncomfortably, not liking that he had to be witnessing this.

"Okay, so maybe you didn't say it," Naruto said after a while, "but you've certainly been acting like we're together. And you know what they say, actions speak louder than words."

"I've been acting like we're together?" Sasuke repeated. "Name one time when I've done anything like that."

Naruto pretended to think. "Oh, hmm, I don't know, maybe last night?"

"Hey, that doesn't mean we're together," Sasuke argued. "Ever heard of a one-night stand?"

Juugo winced on Naruto's behalf, though the only indication that the question even fazed the blonde was the narrowing of his eyes. "So are you saying that's all it was? That that's all I am? A one-night stand? Someone you can fuck around with and never have to deal with any emotional crap?"

"Essentially, yes," Sasuke replied, "that's what I'm saying."

Naruto balled his hands into fists, glaring at Sasuke. "Then what about all those times we kissed? What do you call that, huh?"

"Well, I can't deny that I find you attractive," Sasuke said nonchalantly. "Those were all just ways for me to blow off some steam."

Just then, Naruto did something that surprised all three of them; he turned around, and said very quietly, "Maybe I should have listened to all the others and just let you be killed." Sasuke's eyes widened, but before he could respond, Naruto was gone. Silence emanated from the two remaining boys.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Sasuke-kun?" Juugo asked after a while. Sasuke turned back around and stared at the horizon yet again.

"Discussion time is over," he announced, and Juugo sighed, standing up.

"Alright. But just remember that I'm here anytime you want to talk again." Sasuke gave a little grunt of recognition, and Juugo headed back in towards the house. He found Naruto sitting on the couch, staring through angry tears at nothing in particular. Juugo walked over hesitantly. "Naruto-kun? Can I talk you you?"

Naruto looked up, not bothering to wipe his face. "It's your fault, you know," he said miserably. "If you and that goddamn Suigetsu hadn't shown up, then everything would've been great, and Sasuke would be mine right now."

Juugo blinked in surprise. "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry, but...even if we hadn't come when we did, Madara would still have come for Sasuke-kun eventually."

"Yeah, well, it would've been a lot later than what it ended up being, and I would've gotten more time to make him be the him that was starting to show before you guys came and ruined it. And now, with you being here...you're ruining any chance I may have had at getting the Sasuke I now know back to reality. He acts different around you, different even from how he acts around other Konoha people, and I don't like it."

"Are you sure you're not just jealous of me?" Juugo asked quietly. Naruto looked at him in surprise.

"Why would I be jealous of you?" he asked, his anger momentarily forgotten.

"Because my being here means that Sasuke-kun will be spending less time with you, and you have no way of knowing for certain what kind of relationship I have with him. You know that he's attracted to other men, and that he's attracted to you, but you don't know what other types of guys he's attracted to. You're worried that maybe I'm also his type."

"I know what you're doing," Naruto said accusingly. "You're trying to make me not angry at either of you, because I'll be too busy trying to prove that I'm not jealous. Well, it won't work." He spun around and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm still mad at both of you, so go away."

"Isn't there anything I can do to make you forgive me?"

"Yes. You can go away and never come back."

Juugo sighed. "Please calm down soon, Naruto-kun. You're no fun to be around when you're like this." He turned and left, heading back outside. Naruto got up and got himself something to eat.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Much later, when the moon was at its highest point in the sky, Sasuke finally came inside. His plan was to be sneaky, so that way neither Naruto nor Juugo would notice and confront him, but then he heard the sound of muffled voices coming from the living room. Using his natural Uchiha stealth, as well as drawing on all his experience as a shinobi, he got as close as he could to the voices without being seen.

"...I just don't know what to do," one voice, which Sasuke quickly identified as Naruto's, was saying.

"Well, I don't know what you want me to tell you, Naruto," a second voice replied. For some reason, Sasuke couldn't immediately tell whose it was, though it sounded familiar. "You know I'm just as bad at this whole relationship thing as you are, if not worse. I mean, I let the girl of my dreams get killed."

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "Would you quit blaming yourself for that, Kiba? It's as much your fault as it is mine or anybody else's. And stop changing the subject. We're talking about me right now, not you."

"You know, ever since you and Sasuke got together, you've been acting weird," Kiba noted. "You're more serious than normal, and you're less fun to be around. And then Sasuke is happier and more fun to be around. I swear, it's like you two switched personalities."

"What are you saying?" Naruto asked in a suspicious tone.

"I'm saying that maybe it might be better for the rest of us if the two of you stay apart. If your personality has to change because of the person you're with, then it's not a good relationship." Sasuke was quite surprised by the fact that neither Naruto nor Kiba had noticed him yet. With Naruto, it was understandable, but Sasuke would have thought that Kiba would have caught his scent by now.

"You think I care what would be better for the rest of you?" Naruto snapped.

"You're just proving my point you know," Kiba said. "The more you snap at me, the more you act like Sasuke."

"Well, no matter what you say, I'm not giving up on him. He will be with me, no matter what I have to do."

Kiba chuckled. "That's more like the Naruto I know. Why don't you come on out now, Sasuke."

Surprised, Sasuke did as he was told. Naruto looked up with wide eyes and a blush, while Sasuke kept his expression hidden. "H-how long were you standing there for, Sasuke?" the blonde asked.

"Oh, quite a while now," Kiba answered lazily. "He definitely heard your last statement."

"If you knew I was there, why didn't you say anything sooner?" Sasuke asked Kiba, who grinned.

"I figured it was a conversation you should hear as well," he said. Sasuke turned his gaze on Naruto, glaring slightly.

"And who gave you permission to invite people to my house?" he demanded. Naruto scowled back.

"I figured that since I'm living here too, it'd be fine. But if you're going to be so much of a princess that you can't handle that..."

"Oh, just shut up," Sasuke interrupted. "You two go ahead and have your tea party, or whatever the hell it is you're going to do. I'm going to bed." He turned to leave, and Naruto sighed.

"You know, that's the problem with you, Sasuke," the blonde said, making Sasuke stop in his tracks. "You think you're so tough, like you can take on anything, and sure your body is strong, but that's it. Every time you're faced with something you can't solve by fighting, you run away from it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke insisted, not turning. He continued walking.

"You're just proving me right!" Naruto called out, but Sasuke ignored him.

"Well, I'm going to go home," Kiba decided.

"But you haven't helped me!" Naruto protested.

"I helped a lot more than you might think I have," Kiba said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto. Try not to get yourself killed before I see you again." With that, the brunette left. Naruto groaned and got up, headed over to Sasuke's room. He opened the door without bothering to knock, and walked in on Sasuke getting changed. The Uchiha looked over, completely naked.

"I'm only coming in to grab a blanket and pillow," Naruto said before Sasuke could even open his mouth. "I'm gonna go sleep on the couch."

Sasuke bit his lip. "You know...you really don't have to."

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke blushed and looked at his feet. "You could still sleep in here if you want."

Naruto snorted. "After what you said to me? Not a chance. The only reason I'm not making you sleep on the couch is because, as you so rudely pointed out earlier, this is your house. So goodnight."

Sasuke's face quickly became expressionless. "Fine, then. Don't accept my apology."

"What apology? You never said sorry for anything!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's because I hate apologies, whether I'm making them or hearing them. At least I'm making an effort for you. Isn't that enough?"

Naruto turned to face the door. "Until I hear a formal apology, I'm not forgiving you, and even then it's iffy. Goodnight, Sasuke." He left, back to the living room. Sasuke stood where he was for a long moment before finally putting on some pajamas and crawling into bed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**There you have it, folks, chapter 15. I'd say I'm sorry that I'm being so mean...but I'm really not. XP I have fun torturing characters, as I'm sure you've noticed by now. So anyway, please review! I'll try and have the next chapter ready for next Wednesday, but as I said, I'm gonna be quite busy for the next couple weeks, so I'm not going to make any promises. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yay! I did it! All for you lovely readers, because I love you all. Though you may not think that way soon...Anyway, there's nothing much I can say about this chapter without giving stuff away that I'd really rather not, so I'll just type now. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 16**

A couple days later, Naruto was standing in front of Tsunade's desk, pleading with her. "Oh, come on, Grandma Tsunade, you've got to let me go! Gaara wanted me to visit him right away as soon as my mission was done, so he'd know I made it back alive!"

"Then I will send him a message," Tsunade said.

"But he told me to visit him!" Naruto argued.

Tsunade sighed and rested her head in her hands. "Fine," she conceded. "If you want to go that badly, then I suppose I don't have much of a choice. However, both Uchiha Sasuke and Juugo will go with you, as they're still your responsibility."

"Can't someone else look after them?" Naruto whined. "They'll only get in my way and be annoying."

"Stop complaining, Naruto!" Tsunade demanded. "I'm letting you go on this journey you requested, so don't argue with the conditions I place! Now, there's no way you're going on your own, it's too dangerous. So rather than send other shinobi with you who we will likely need for missions, it only makes sense to send Juugo and Sasuke, as they are not going to be going on any missions issued by me. This is my final offer, take it or leave it."

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine," he said, "I'll take them."

"We're right here, you know," Sasuke pointed out in irritation, "you don't have to talk about us as if we're not."

"So when can we leave?" Naruto asked eagerly, ignoring Sasuke. Tsunade checked a few papers.

"You could potentially leave at any time," she said finally. "Just make sure you're completely ready first."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome," he said. "We'll leave in half an hour."

"Don't we get any say in this?" Sasuke asked, referring to himself and Juugo. Naruto turned to look at the two of them.

"Nope," he said simply. "This is my mission thingie, you guys are just coming along for the ride."

Sasuke frowned. "I really don't see how that's fair," he said. Naruto shrugged.

"It isn't. Now let's go." The three boys left, leaving Tsunade very weirded out.

_He went to such lengths to get Sasuke back, and then to keep him alive, and now he doesn't want to be around him any more? That doesn't seem like Naruto,_ she thought, then shook her head and returned to her work.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So how is it that you're on such friendly terms with the Kazekage that he'd personally request for you to visit him, Naruto-kun?" Juugo asked as the three shinobi ran towards Suna.

"It's a long story," Naruto replied. "Let's just say I saved him from a very cold and dark place before he became Kazekage, and then helped save his life afterwards." His eyes slid to Sasuke as he said "cold and dark place", but Sasuke was ignoring the blonde. Naruto frowned, then didn't say anything else.

"That's quite impressive," Juugo noted. "That you're not only on good terms with your own Kage, but also the Kage of another village? I doubt there are many other genin who can truthfully say the same, unless they're related to their Kage."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just special that way," Naruto said nonchalantly. "People seem to like me. Well...most people, anyway." Here he glanced at Sasuke again. This time the Uchiha was looking, and glaring.

"Just shut up already," he snapped, and Naruto glowered, but didn't respond. The three of them continued in silence, not speaking until they reached the gate of Suna, where Temari just so happened to be waiting. She had a grin on her face.

"Nice to see you survived, Naruto," she noted.

"How'd you know I'd be coming now?" he asked in bewilderment.

"It's kinda hard to miss you, with that bright orange outfit," Temari replied. "I spotted you from miles away. Now come on, Gaara's waiting." Naruto grinned and started to follow her, then stopped.

"Oh...Temari, can I ask you something?" Temari turned to look at Naruto again.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked. Naruto gestured behind him to Sasuke and Juugo.

"Do you think that maybe you or Kankurou could keep an eye on these two? Grandma Tsunade made me take them along, but I don't want them bugging me when I talk to Gaara, and I'm sure he'd feel the same."

"We'll figure something out," Temari said with a nod. "I'll take them right now. You know the way to the Kazekage tower, right?"

"Of course I do. See you guys later!" He headed off. Sasuke glared at Temari.

"What are you going to do with us?" he asked. Temari smirked.

"I've got just the thing."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

There was a knock on the door of Gaara's office. "Enter," he called out, then looked up as the door opened. A small smile crept across his usually expressionless face, and he stood. "So you really did make it back alive, Uzumaki Naruto," he commented.

Naruto laughed and closed the door. "Of course I did," he said, walking over to give his friend a hug. "I said I would, didn't I?" Gaara relaxed into the embrace far more than he ever had before, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder.

"I'm glad," he whispered. Naruto pulled away.

"Gaara? Is something wrong?" he asked in confusion. The redhead blushed, yes blushed, and shook his head.

"Not at all," he replied. "Now, why don't you have a seat and tell me how the mission went?" he said afterwards, regaining his composure. Naruto did as he was told, going into detail about how upset he was when he thought Sasuke had been killed – something which Gaara had a hard time listening to – and ending with a rant about how Sasuke was being stupid now.

"I think he has a thing for Juugo," Naruto was saying. "I know Juugo certainly likes him."

"What would you do if those two did end up being together?" Gaara asked, and Naruto thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know," he said finally. "I'm just hoping it doesn't happen, so I'll never have to know."

"Do you think you would move on to somebody else, or try to change Sasuke's mind?"

Naruto blinked. "Well, there's really nobody else I'm as close to as I am to Sasuke. I mean, aside from you, of course, but you live so far away from me, and-" Naruto was cut off by an unexpected pair of lips covering his. His eyes widened, seeing Gaara's face directly in front of his own. _What is he..._ Naruto thought, and his eyes widened further as he figured it out. _This must be why he was asking what I'd do! He wants me to be with him!_

Gaara pulled away, looking straight into Naruto's eyes. "The distance between our villages doesn't matter," he said simply. "You're welcome to come here any time you want, and to stay for as long as you want."

"But I'm a part of Konoha, one of its best shinobi," Naruto said softly. "And I plan on becoming Hokage someday. When that happens, both of us will be stuck in our villages, and we won't be able to see each other. I'm not saying I wouldn't want to, I just...it wouldn't work, Gaara."

Gaara nodded, looking down at his feet. "I'm...sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Naruto hesitated, then leaned in and kissed Gaara softly. The redhead returned the kiss quickly, and then both boys heard footsteps outside the room. Before either of them had a chance to react, the door opened and somebody sent Gaara flying into the farthest wall. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Gaara!" he called out, then looked for the person who'd done that. He didn't have to look far, as the person in question grabbed Naruto and kissed him deeply. Naruto tried to push the other person away, but whoever it was refused to let him. Finally, the lips left Naruto's and then there was a familiar voice whispering in his ear.

"You're mine, and don't you ever forget it," the voice said. Naruto scowled.

"What the hell, Sasuke?" he exclaimed, pushing the Uchiha away. "What the hell is your problem?"

"I won't stand by and watch you kiss some other guy," Sasuke replied.

"Then go away!" Naruto countered. "Go away so you don't have to watch it! Besides, I don't see why you should care. You made it very clear what you think of me, so you've got no right saying that I'm yours and attacking Gaara just because I kissed him!"

At that moment, Temari and Kankurou came running in, and Gaara picked himself up off the floor. "What the hell was that noise?" Kankurou demanded.

"Sasuke decided to be an asshole and attack Gaara for no reason," Naruto replied, not tearing his eyes away from the Uchiha.

"What?" Temari exclaimed. "You're not going to get away with that!"

"Temari, don't," Gaara said as he walked over. "I deserved it, it's fine."

"Don't say stuff like that," Naruto said, looking at Gaara. "You did nothing to deserve it, Sasuke was just being his usual asshole self." At that moment, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist and pulled him out of the room faster than any of the others could see. "Let go of me, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled once they'd stopped. Sasuke actually did what he was told.

"Why the hell did you kiss him?" Sasuke demanded. "What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" Naruto repeated. "What I was thinking was that you didn't seem to want a relationship, and Gaara did, so I'd rather be with someone who's willing than chase someone who isn't."

"Did I ever say that I didn't want a relationship?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto scowled.

"You've made it perfectly clear with-" he began, but got cut off.

"Did I ever say it?" Sasuke repeated.

"Well...not exactly...but you did say that you think of me as a one-night stand."

"I didn't say that either," Sasuke said. "I simply agreed with your assumption."

"That's the same thing!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, I do want to be with you. I want to be your boyfriend. Please forgive me?"

Naruto shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Well, it's too late for that now. You still haven't apologized for any of the mean things you said to me, so what makes you think I'd say yes?"

"Because you love me," Sasuke said simply. "You said it yourself, it was what sparked this whole thing."

"Oh, is that what it was?" Naruto asked angrily. "This is seriously because I said those three, harmless little words? Wow, it would've been nice to know that earlier, when I asked you what it was about!" He turned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to Gaara." Sasuke stopped Naruto before the blonde could leave.

"What do I have to do?" the Uchiha asked. "What do I have to do to make you forgive me and take me back?"

"Just give it up, Sasuke," Naruto replied. "The only thing you could do would be to apologize, and you've already said you don't like doing that, so forget about it. If you won't say you're sorry, then I'm not interested."

"That's not fair," Sasuke argued.

"How is it not fair?" Naruto exclaimed. "All I'm asking for is an apology, that's it! You should be happy, because I know that other people would ask for way more."

"You're asking for something I can't give you."

Naruto looked away quickly, but Sasuke caught the look of hurt in the blonde's eyes. "If you're not willing to go outside your comfort zone even a little bit for me, then you obviously don't want this relationship as much as you claim you do," he said quietly, then left the room before Sasuke could stop him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you okay?" both Gaara and Naruto asked each other simultaneously when Naruto came back in the room. Naruto grinned at this.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "But you're the one who was thrown against a wall, so you're the one who might not be okay, not me."

"Well, I'm okay too," Gaara said. "Besides, I have no way of knowing what happened when Sasuke took you away, so for all I know, the question could apply to you as well."

Naruto looked down at his feet. "He's so confusing," he mumbled.

"What did he say this time?" Gaara asked softly, closing the door to give them more privacy.

"Well, first he's mad at me for kissing you, then he's denying that he ever didn't want me, then he's practically begging me to forgive him, and then he's mad because apparently, an apology is way too much for me to ask of him." Naruto sighed and sat down, rubbing his face. "I don't know what to do, Gaara."

"Forget about him and be with me," Gaara suggested.

"You know I can't do that," Naruto replied, not looking at his friend. "No matter what you say, the distance is too much. Besides, I like you and all, but...but I love Sasuke."

"So you're going to chase after him, even though he doesn't deserve you?"

"No," Naruto said, surprising Gaara. "No, I'm done chasing. If he wants me, he knows what he has to do. But I can't be with someone else, because I won't be able to care about them the way they deserve."

Gaara sighed. "I suppose that makes sense." He paused. "So how long were you planning on staying here?"

"Well, probably at least another day, just to make the trip worth it," Naruto replied. "I mean, the only reason I really came here was because I wanted to talk to you, and let you know that I made it back alive."

"Well, I'm glad you decided to stop by, instead of just sending a letter or something," Gaara said. "We should go have dinner, then I'll show you and your...companions to your room."

"It'll be the same one as last time, right?" Naruto asked, and Gaara nodded. "Then you don't need to show us the way, because I still remember it."

"Okay, then," Gaara said. "Well, let's go to dinner."

After a very tense and awkward dinner, Naruto took Juugo and Sasuke to the room designated for them. "I get the bed," Naruto declared. "You two can take the floor."

"Hey, we didn't even want to come here," Sasuke argued. "Shouldn't we get the bed, to make up for the fact that you dragged us along against our will?"

"No, I get the bed because it's my mission," Naruto said.

"It's not even a mission!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"The bed is big enough for two," Juugo pointed out, "and I'm fine with sleeping on the floor." Both Sasuke and Naruto glared at Juugo.

"I'm not sharing a bed with him!" they yelled simultaneously, pointing at each other.

Juugo shrugged. "Well, you two work it out for yourselves, because it doesn't involve me at all. I'm going to bed now, so try not to argue too loudly." With that, he laid down on the floor and closed his eyes, his back turned to Naruto and Sasuke.

"I get the bed," Naruto repeated from earlier. "You usually make me sleep on the floor at y our house, now it's my turn." Before Sasuke could argue again, Naruto climbed onto the bed and under the covers. Sasuke scowled and climbed in on the other side. "Teme!" Naruto whispered, trying to push Sasuke away. "Get out of here!"

"No," Sasuke said, gripping Naruto's wrists tightly, yet gently enough to not cause the blonde any pain. "I'm staying right where I am." He leaned forward and captured Naruto's lips with his own. Naruto squirmed and pulled away.

"Stop it, you asshole!" he demanded. "I still haven't forgiven you, you know!" Sasuke kissed Naruto's nose in response, then kissed his cheek, his jaw, and all down his neck. Naruto shivered and stretched his neck out. He closed his eyes, enjoying it, then his eyes snapped open and he pushed Sasuke off. "I said stop it!" he yelled.

"Just go along with it, Naruto," Sasuke practically purred. "You and I both know you want it..."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut tightly, then jumped out of the bed. "Fine! You win! You get the bed to yourself! That's what you wanted all along, right?"

Sasuke sat straight up, looking at Naruto. "No, I-"

"Well, now you've got it! Maybe I'll go find Gaara's room and sleep with him!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he spat, "but don't expect anything resembling an apology to come from me now."

"I wasn't expecting it in the first place!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I was going to say it," Sasuke continued, looking at his fingernails. "But now it's too late."

"That's your loss," Naruto said. "I'm at the point that I don't even care any more."

"Yes you do," Sasuke replied. "You obviously care. Why else would we be having all these conversations?"

"Because you start them!"

"Guys, would you please just shut up?" Juugo pleaded from the floor. "I'm trying to sleep here."

"Sorry, Juugo," Sasuke and Naruto mumbled simultaneously. Naruto glared at Sasuke.

"Oh, sure, you'll say sorry to him but not to me."

"Because that wasn't a sincere apology," Sasuke explained. "I didn't really mean it. I know you won't settle for something like that, which is why I just won't say anything."

Naruto growled in frustration. "You are just so...so...infuriating!" he exclaimed.

"Oooh, big word," Sasuke said mockingly. Naruto stormed over and slapped Sasuke right across the face.

"I hate you," the blonde spat venomously, then left the room, slamming the door in the process. Sasuke was too shocked to do anything but stare, wide-eyed, at the closed door. Slowly, he reached a hand up to his cheek.

"Maybe now there will finally be some peace in here," Juugo muttered to himself. Sasuke sat there, staring, for nearly the entire night, as though he were waiting for Naruto to return. But the blonde never did.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**There you go, folks! Sorry it's so late at night...now please don't shoot me! Don't worry, there's still at least 4 more chapters, so there's still a chance they might get back together by the end...but I can't promise anything, since it's all up to them. XP So yeah, just so you all know, NaruGaa is my second favourite pairing for Naruto to be in. In fact, the only threesome I've ever liked in the history of anything is SasuNaruGaa, though that doesn't really have anything to do with anything. XD Please review, even though I'm sure you all hate me right now...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, guys, sorry I couldn't update last night like I said I would...I was busy this past Sunday, which gave me less time to write, but it's done now! Before I begin...I'd like to reply to a couple things in the review that And here comes the chocobunny sent, even though I know you said I don't have to reply. XD I only said that there would be at least 4 more chapters, there might be more depending on whether I feel they're necessary or not, which they likely will be. As for what happened to Madara...you'll see soon enough. -evil chuckle-**

**Okay, now that that's done with...on with the chapter! At least it's only one day late, right? XD**

**Chapter 17**

Gaara was walking down the hall, heading to his room, when he saw a slightly ajar door and heard the sound of someone crying from inside the room. Curious, he gently pushed the door open and stuck his head in. He saw Naruto sitting in a corner of the room, knees brought in to his chest, arms wrapped around his knees, and head buried in his arms. His body was shaking with the force of his sobs, which despite his attempt to muffle, were still fairly loud. Gaara walked in and closed the door quietly, then went over to the corner.

"Naruto?" he asked softly. "What's wrong?" He knelt beside his friend and put a gentle hand on his arm. Naruto looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks. Wordlessly, he shook his head and then buried it in his arms once more. Gaara hesitantly put his arms around Naruto and drew him close, giving whatever comfort he could. After a long while, Naruto's crying slowed and then stopped altogether. When Gaara looked down, he saw that the blonde was asleep on his shoulder. He sighed softly and carefully stood, picking Naruto up as he did so. He carried Naruto, bridal style, into his own room and gently laid him down on the bed. After a moment's hesitation, Gaara climbed in beside him, then fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Naruto woke in confusion. He took in as much of the room as he could, noting how much fancier it was than the room he was supposed to stay in. Then he rolled over and saw Gaara sleeping beside him, and he blinked in surprise. _What the...?_ Naruto thought. _Well, __this__ was unexpected. I wonder if he...nah, he's not like that, he'd never do anything like that without knowing I was okay with it._ Just as he thought this, Gaara opened his eyes slowly.

"Naruto," he nearly whispered. "You're awake. Are you alright?" He sat up, looking at the blonde in concern. It took Naruto a moment to realize what Gaara was talking about, and then he remembered his most recent fight with Sasuke. He rolled over so Gaara wouldn't see the tears threatening to fall.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, then sat up and got out of bed.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Gaara asked as he, too, got out of bed.

Naruto was silent for a while, struggling with his emotions. "Oh, nothing much," he said in what was supposed to be a nonchalant tone. "Argued with Sasuke...told him I hated him...just the basic type of fucking up I've been doing since I got him back the second time." By now, he was shaking slightly with the effort not to cry. Gaara sighed.

"If it's really bothering you this much that you're not with Sasuke, then why don't you just take him back?" he suggested.

"Because he's an asshole who doesn't seem to take 'no' for an answer!" Naruto snapped, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. "Besides, I already told him I won't even consider taking him back if he doesn't say sorry for what he said."

"And what exactly is stopping you from changing your mind?"

Naruto spun around to face Gaara. "Because I never go back on my word. You should know that by now, Gaara."

"But it's not exactly going back on your word if you never actually promised anyone you'd do it," the redhead pointed out.

"It's something I said, so it counts," Naruto argued. "I'm not getting back together with Sasuke until he apologizes, no matter how much I may want to."

Gaara sighed again and closed his eyes. "Alright. If you insist. I just hate seeing how much this is tearing you up...I care about you, Naruto. I want you to be happy."

"I know you do," Naruto said, sitting back on the bed, faced away from Gaara. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, I guess I'm just mad at myself and Sasuke."

"Why are you mad at yourself?" Gaara asked as he came around to sit next to Naruto.

"I'm such an idiot," Naruto muttered in reply. "I shouldn't have said it, he just makes me so...ugh!"

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you're making it out to be."

Naruto looked up at Gaara from the corners of his eyes. "I slapped him and told him I hated him, Gaara. I don't see how that could be any less worse than I know it is."

Gaara put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Why don't you talk to him? Tell him you didn't mean it, and say sorry. Maybe it'll prompt him to apologize as well."

Naruto was silent for a while, then he stood up. "I should go get them and go back to Konoha," he said.

"Okay," Gaara agreed, standing as well. "I'll walk with you to Suna's gate." Naruto nodded, and left to get Sasuke and Juugo.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Naruto walked in the room, he saw Sasuke sitting in almost the exact same position as when he'd left. Juugo was folding up the blanket he'd used, and looked up as Naruto entered.

"Oh, you're back, Naruto-kun," he noted. Naruto nodded.

"We're going home," he announced, "and we leave now. So come on, both of you." He left the room, not bothering to check if the others were following or not, which they were after a moment or two. The three of them headed to the gates of Suna, where Gaara stood in wait. He hugged Naruto tightly, ignoring the murderous looks Sasuke was shooting his way.

"Thank you for coming to visit," Gaara said softly, pulling away from the hug after a long while. "Come back any time."

Naruto smiled. "I will, you can count on that. Thank you for...well, everything. The food, the company, the bed..." Here, he blushed slightly. Sasuke scowled even more.

"Any time," Gaara said with a small smile, then kissed Naruto very lightly. "Bye."

"Bye," Naruto replied, and then left. Sasuke followed after glaring at Gaara for a little while longer, then Juugo left as well. The three Konoha shinobi ran in silence for a while, until Naruto finally spoke. "Sasuke?" he began.

"What?" the Uchiha growled.

"I'm sorry about last night," Naruto said. "You know, the whole thing where I said I hated you and slapped you? I didn't mean it."

"Just shut up," Sasuke demanded half-heartedly. "You know I hate apologies."

"No you don't," Naruto countered. "You may think you have a great mask that no one can see through, but I can see the relief from what I said. I know you well enough to see past the fake you that you like to hide behind."

"I told you to shut up," Sasuke repeated.

"I've just shown you how easy it is to apologize," Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke's commment. "So now it's your turn. Go on." Sasuke glared in response. "Come on, I'll even help you out. Repeat after me: 'Naruto, I'm sorry.' Now you say it."

"That won't work," Sasuke said. "I'm not apologizing when I didn't do anything wrong."

"That's not what I told you to say."

"I'm not saying it."

"Just say it! You've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain!"

"I won't say it!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Guys, please stop," Juugo interrupted. "There's no point to this. The more you push him, Naruto-kun, the less likely he is to ever say it."

Sasuke gave a snort. "As if I'd say it even if he weren't pushing me," he said. Naruto glowered at him.

"So I guess you don't want to be with me, then," the blonde said.

"I never said that," Sasuke argued.

"No, but with the way you're making such a big deal about saying sorry, that's pretty much what you're saying to me."

"You know perfectly well that I've wanted to be with you since we were little, so don't go saying I don't." Sasuke's cheeks were coloured a light pink with this admission, but he said it anyway.

"Then say you're sorry for calling me a one-night stand," Naruto prompted. At Sasuke's scowl, he continued. "You and I both know there's no guarantee either of us will live through our next battle, whenever that happens to be. Wouldn't it suck if I died and you never got another chance to be with me, all because you wouldn't swallow your damn pride and apologize?"

A shiver rippled through Sasuke's body. "Don't talk like that, Naruto," he said. "Both of us are strong enough that we won't be killed so easily."

"But what if it's a tough opponent? What if it's you and me versus someone like Madara?"

"I don't want to think about either of us dying!" Sasuke snapped.

"Oh, but it's perfectly okay for me to think that I'm only a one-night stand to you?"

Sasuke looked away, focusing his gaze straight ahead of him. "I don't think of you as a one-night stand, Naruto, and I never did. I was...I was shocked by your confession, and I said things I didn't mean."

Naruto waited for the rest, but when it became clear that Sasuke was done, he frowned. "You know that doesn't count as an apology, right?" he asked. "I mean, it's nice that you've said that, but it doesn't count. You've got to say the words 'I'm sorry'."

"Well, unless you don't mind me giving you a fake apology that means nothing, then that won't be happening," Sasuke informed the blonde. "What you got just a moment ago is the closest thing to an apology I'm going to give, so take it or leave it."

Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "It's not good enough."

"Fine, but don't expect anything better."

The three of them were silent for the rest of the trip.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As soon as they entered the gates of Konoha, Shikamaru met up with them. "Naruto-kun, you're wanted in Hokage-sama's office."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "So soon after I got back? Doesn't she usually wait a while to assign missions?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I'm just the messenger. Oh, and she said to come alone, leave the other two with me."

"This is really weird, but okay," Naruto agreed. He left.

Before he could even knock on Tsunade's door, she called out from within, "Come in, Naruto." Naruto did as he was told.

"You wanted to see me, Grandma Tsunade?" he asked, and Tsunade nodded.

"Yes. We believe that you should go and learn to control your Kyuubi. There's a war coming, and his abilities could very well decide the outcome of the entire thing."

"Wait, who could possibly teach me to control the Kyuubi? Is that even possible?"

Tsunade smiled slightly. "Yes, it is possible. As for who...you'll just have to wait and see. You can have tonight to rest, but you'll be leaving early tomorrow morning. Understood?"

"O-okay," Naruto replied. "Yeah, sure. How long will it take?"

"There's no telling," Tsunade said. "It'll depend entirely on you and how your master teaches you. But I will be getting constant reports to see how far you're progressing each day."

Naruto nodded. "Alright."

"So tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, meet me at the village gates. And don't let anyone follow you. You can tell people you're going, but now where, when, how, or why."

"I don't even know where or how," Naruto pointed out.

"Exactly. Now go get some rest, you've got a busy bunch of days ahead of you." She spun around in her chair to signify the end of the conversation, and Naruto left, going back to Sasuke's house. When he walked in, he found Sasuke, Juugo, and Shikamaru sitting around in the living room. Shikamaru looked up.

"Thank God you're back, Naruto-kun," he said. "I was about to die of boredom."

"Oh, shut up," Sasuke said. "It's not like you were trying to make conversation or anything."

"Well, thanks for taking them off my hands for a bit," Naruto said th Shikamaru. "I wonder what will happen while I'm gone...I forgot to ask that."

"So Tsunade-sama is sending you on a mission, then?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto nodded.

"Pretty much," he replied. "Don't ask any details, though, because I can't tell you anything. I just don't know if I have to take these guys with me, or if someone else is gonna watch them."

"If she asked for just you, then you're probably going alone," Shikamaru pointed out.

"Good point. So I wonder who's going to stay here with these two..."

"Don't worry about that," Shikamaru told him. "Tsunade-sama will figure something out. The only thing you should worry about is getting ready and getting enough rest for your mission, whenever you leave. Well, I'll be off. Have fun on your mission, Naruto-kun, and kick some ass for me."

Naruto grinned. "You've got it, Shikamaru. Bye." Once the brunette had gone, Juugo announced that he was going to bed.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"I was thinking I'd take Itachi's room," Naruto replied with a nonchalant shrug. "The couch really isn't that appealing, not when there's that nice bed just down the hall."

Sasuke scowled. "You're not sleeping in Itachi's room," he informed the blonde.

"Okay, then you sleep there and give me your bed," Naruto suggested.

"Nobody is ever going to sleep in my brother's bed!" Sasuke yelled. "And before you even suggest it, I'm not sleeping on the couch or with Juugo. If you really want a bed, you'll have to sleep with me."

"Fine, but only because I want a good night's sleep before my mission tomorrow." He winced when he realized he'd just said when his mission would be, but Sasuke didn't seem to notice. The Uchiha's face fell momentarily, before he hid his expression once more.

"About that..." he began. "Naruto, I have a bad feeling about this mission. I don't think you should go."

Naruto blinked. "Well, that was unexpected," he said, "but you should know that I'll be fine. No matter what happens, I can handle it."

"Don't go, Naruto," Sasuke pleaded. "I don't want to chance losing you."

Naruto laughed. "Losing me?" he repeated. "You really think that's a possibility? Jeez, you have such little faith in my abilities. The other day when I said that either of us could die, I was just trying to guilt trip you into saying sorry. I know we'll both be fine."

Sasuke fidgeted. "I just...I don't know. Like I said, I have a bad feeling about his whole thing."

"Snap out of it already," Naruto said. "How many times do I have to tell you I'll be fine before you get it?"

"I'd feel better if I were going with you."

Naruto shook his head. "It's too late now. You'd have to talk to Grandma Tsunade, and she's probably gone to sleep by now. Besides, I doubt she'd let you come along, anyway."

"Then maybe I'll just show up at the gate tomorrow when you leave, and go whether she likes it or not," Sasuke said. "You do stuff like that all the time, or so I'm told."

"The difference is that she likes me and trusts me," Naruto argued. "She doesn't trust you yet, so she'd never let you go on something as important as this."

"Just what kind of mission is it?" Sasuke demanded.

"I'm not supposed to say," Naruto replied. "It's a secret, apparently. I already screwed up by saying when I leave."

"Is it a secret you actually agreed to keep?"

Naruto thought about that for a moment. "No, I guess not...but still. She'll get mad if I tell anyone."

"Who says she has to know?" Sasuke said with a sly grin. "I'm good at acting, I can pretend I know nothing about the mission, and tag along anyway."

"I don't know if that will-" Naruto began.

"Work?" Sasuke interrupted. "Of course it will work. Now tell me where you're going."

"I don't know."

Sasuke frowned. "You still don't want to tell me?"

"No, it's not that, it's...I wasn't told where I'm going."

There was a puzzled look on Sasuke's face. "Then how are you going to get there if you don't know where 'there' is?"

"I assume I'll have some guides to take me there," Naruto began, and Sasuke finished his thought.

"But you weren't told that either?" he guessed, and Naruto nodded. "Jeez, were you even told anything about this mission?"

"Well...it's not technically a mission so much as a training session," Naruto said reluctantly. At Sasuke's confused expression, he continued. "I'm going to be learning to control the Kyuubi," he said in a low voice.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Is that even possible?"

Naruto laughed. "You know, that's one of the first things I said, too. Apparently, it is."

"If it's something like that, then I suppose I can't come with you," Sasuke said in disappointment. "I'd only be in the way."

"Well, according to Grandma Tsunade, there's going to be a war coming soon. So instead of sitting on your ass the whole time I'm gone, you could find someone to train with, just so that you'll be ready too."

"I already knew there would be a war soon," Sasuke admitted. "I mean, honestly, do you really think your Rasen-Shuriken and my Amaterasu, as amazing as both attacks are, would be able to take down someone as powerful as Madara?" He shook his head in answer to his own question. "He'll be back, and very pissed off. That's something I can guarantee."

Naruto was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "I guess we should go to bed," he suggested.

"You go ahead," Sasuke said. "I'm going to stay up a bit longer."

"Okay," Naruto agreed. "Goodnight." He hesitated, then took in a deep breath. "No matter what happens, and no matter whether or not you ever apologize, it's still true that I love you." He left before Sasuke could reply. The Uchiha sat there, staring at the empty doorway in shock.

_I love you too, Naruto,_ he thought, _although that's something I'll never actually say, along with how sorry I am for all the pain I've caused you._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**There it is, folks! If you're wondering about Naruto and Sasuke being kinda bipolar towards each other, there's a rather simple explanation for it. Both of them want to be together, but they're both much to stubborn to give in to the other person. Sasuke's too stubborn to apologize, and Naruto's too stubborn to just "forget" about it and move on. Who knows, maybe some time away from each other will make them see how much they want one another...**

**A few chapters back, I was asked whether I'd be following the manga plot at all, and I guess you all know the answer now. Originally, I wasn't planning on it, but I changed my mind. However, for any readers who don't read the manga, don't worry; I'm not following it exactly. Basically what I'm going to do is focus mainly on Sasuke, Juugo, and whoever is stationed to keep an eye on them, not Naruto's journey/experience. That way I can give the least amount of spoilers possible.**

**One more thing before I post this: Next week will be my Spring Break, so I'll have tons more time to write. Chances are very high that I'll be able to update next Wednesday, even though I have fewer days to write than I normally do, but because my weekend is pretty much my own, as is next week, I think I'll manage. Now, I might also be able to finish more than one chapter before I have to go back to school. If that happens, I'll post both whenever I'm finished them.**

**Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone, and don't forget to review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm so very sorry about the wait, guys! FanFiction was being stupid and wouldn't let me edit any of my stories since last Wednesday. Well, a chapter's still a chapter, right? XD I'd like to say that I've been taking advantage of the delay to write and type the next chapter as well, but that would be a lie...I'm still only on the third written page of it...yes, I'm procrastinating. I'll try to have the next one up by Wednesday, and maybe if I work really hard, I'll get the last one up on the same day. **

**Anyway, enjoy, despite the lateness! Oh, and I'm sorry and here comes the chocobunny, but I didn't get to incorporate any of the lovely suggestions you made...if it had been earlier, and I hadn't already started the next chapter, then it wouldn't be a problem, but because I did start the next one, I don't want to change what I've got. Thank you for the review, though! Alright, you've waited long enough, I'll shut up and let you get to it now.  
**

**Chapter 18**

Naruto lay awake for a long while, unable to fall asleep. He was still awake and staring at the ceiling when Sasuke crawled in bed beside him, a couple hours later.

"You awake?" the Uchiha inquired quietly.

"Yeah," Naruto whispered back. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Sasuke muttered. He rolled over to face the blonde. "Naruto? I know we're not together right now, but we both know we want to be...and it's our last night together for a while, so..." He pulled Naruto close and kissed him deeply. Naruto pulled away half-heartedly.

"Sasuke, I've got to get to sleep," he mumbled.

"But you're not tired," Sasuke said.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Well, if you were tired, you'd have been asleep when I came in," Sasuke pointed out, then smirked when Naruto had no response to that. The Uchiha kissed the blonde again, and Naruto tried – barely – to resist before giving in like he'd wanted to for a while. He returned the kiss eagerly, and allowed Sasuke to do what he wanted.

"At least...you can't call me just a one-night stand anymore," Naruto said breathlessly a while later as he lay pressed up against Sasuke's side, arm draped across his chest and face nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Sasuke's arm was around Naruto, keeping him close.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked sleepily.

"Well...that's twice now," Naruto elaborated. "I can't be a one-night stand if we've...well...more than one night."

"Was I not clear when I said that I've never really thought of you like that, and that I shouldn't have said it in the first place?"

Naruto kissed just behind Sasuke's ear. "No, you were clear," he mumbled, then yawned and snuggled closer as he closed his eyes. "I just wanted to say that. That's all."

Sasuke let it slide and relaxed, closing his eyes as well.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Sasuke woke the next morning, he was alone in the bed. There was a note beside him, in Naruto's writing, which said that the blonde had left, but that he'd asked Tsunade to keep Sasuke informed as she was of Naruto's progress, and of when he'd be returning. Sasuke sighed and got out of bed.

One he dressed, he walked into the living room and found Juugo. The other teen looked up as the Uchiha entered. "I take it Naruto-kun left already?" he said, and Sasuke simply nodded. "Any idea who will be watching us?" Juugo continued, and now Sasuke shook his head.

"Not a clue," he replied, "but I'm sure we'll find out soon. I just hope it isn't-" He was cut off by the sound of a knock on the front door.

"Sasuke-kuuuuun!" Lee's voice called out, which made Sasuke groan. "Sasuke-kun, please let us in now!"

_Us?_ Sasuke thought. _Oh God, please don't let it be-_ He was interrupted, yet again, by the sound of another voice.

"If you don't let us in, we'll break the door down," Kiba's voice warned.

Sasuke did a facepalm.

"Alright, here we go!" Kiba announced. Sasuke got up and started slowly walking towards the door as Kiba counted to three. "One...two...three!" At the exact second Kiba would have hit the door, Sasuke opened it, which resulted in Kiba charging straight towards a wall. The brunette's eyes widened as he realized this, but he was going much too fast to stop, and so he crashed.

Sasuke began clapping mockingly slow. "Great job, Kiba," he said sarcastically. "That's what you get for being so impatient." Kiba turned and snarled at this comment.

"Well, if you hadn't taken forever to open the door-" Kiba began, and now it was Sasuke's turn to interrupt.

"Hey, I opened it almost right after you said you'd break it down," he pointed out. "You barely waited even a second."

"Enough," Lee announced, walking in. "Kiba-kun, while I admire your spirit and the strength of your youth, we did not come here to pick fights. We came here because Tsunade-sama asked us to look after Sasuke-kun and Juugo."

"So you two really are the ones she chose?" Sasuke asked, not happy.

Lee grinned and nodded. "Yes! And how very fortunate that this is so, too!"

Sasuke blinked. "Fortunate?" he repeated. "I don't see how you would think that..." _What in the hell was she thinking?_ he wondered to himself. _I could only put up with Naruto for so long because it's him, but these guys? They're even more annoying than Naruto, if that's even possible. I'm never going to get any peace and quiet again. Couldn't that bitch have sent someone like Shikamaru? He pretty much only ever opens his mouth to complain, but at least he knows how to be quiet, unlike these morons. Hell, I'd almost prefer Sakura over Lee and Kiba. She's annoying too, but she'll shut up if I tell her to._

"...Sasuke-kun?" Lee said, bringing the Uchiha back to reality. "You have been glaring at that painting for a few minutes now. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sasuke replied. "Now why don't you two go away and tell the Hokage to send someone less annoying in?"

Kiba scowled. "What, you don't want us here? Well, too bad, cuz we're your only option."

"What the hell are you blathering on about?" Sasuke demanded. "There's gotta be someone else."

"He is telling the truth, Sasuke-kun," Lee informed the Uchiha. "All the others who may be able to keep an eye on you are on very important missions."

"What about Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "I saw her yesterday."

"She is training with Tsunade-sama," Lee replied, "and is therefore unable to watch you."

"And Shikamaru?"

"On a mission with Ino-chan and Chouji-kun," Lee confirmed.

"Shino?"

"With his dad," Kiba said, "and before you ask, Neji is off on some mission with Tenten."

"Then why is Lee here if his teammates are on a mission?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"Why do you think?" Kiba said. "They needed a break from his annoyingness."

"No, that is not it," Lee argued. "Tsunade-sama decided that my services were more needed here."

"Sure, Lee, whatever you say," Kiba said sarcastically. "Though I suppose I don't blame you for not wanting to think that your 'friends' are fed up with you."

"Enough," Juugo said, "let's not have this discussion anymore."

"As much as I hate to admit it," Sasuke said, "it might be a good thing that you two are here. Even though you're annoying and I can hardly stand you, you're both pretty strong when it comes to fighting, and Juugo and I are going to need someone to train with. He and I know each other's attacks too well to be able to properly fight each other."

"Huh?" Kiba said in surprise. "What do you mean? Why the sudden urge to train? I'd expect it from someone like Naruto or Lee, but you?"

"Don't you sense it, Kiba?" Sasuke asked, an urgent tone to his voice. "There's a war coming, and it's going to be huge. We'll all need to make sure we're as strong as we can possibly be, that way we'll win no matter what."

"So you want to train with us?" Kiba clarified, and Sasuke nodded, a small grin on his face.

"All four of us at the same time, each man for himself," Sasuke said. "Maybe after we do that a couple times, we could try two on two, see if there's any chance for teamwork between any of us."

Lee and Kiba shared a surprised look, then they both grinned. "If it is training you want," Lee began.

"Then let's get to it," Kiba finished. Sasuke's grin widened ever so slightly.

"Excellent," he said. "Come on, all of you. I know just the place to go."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"You know, that was actually quite a lot of fun," Kiba admitted as he and the other three shinobi lay panting on the ground. They were laying in the grass of a secret training ground within the Uchiha complex, having just fought each other almost nonstop for a little over an hour.

"You two are a lot stronger than I remember you being," Sasuke noted, shutting his eyes briefly. "This could work to all of our advantage."

"So, should we go back to the house now?" Juugo suggested.

"Yeah, we may as well," Sasuke replied. "It's not like there's any point to staying out here."

"Maybe we should get something to eat first," Kiba said, "I'm starving."

"I've got food in my house, there's no need to go out anywhere," Sasuke informed the brunette.

"Okay, we'll just go there, then," Kiba said. None of them moved.

"Maybe we should focus on getting up first," Lee suggested. The others gave light chuckles, and eventually, they managed to pick themselves up off the ground and headed back to Sasuke's place.

The next month was spent in much the same way; once the four boys had all woken up and eaten breakfast, they went to the training ground and spent the majority of the day getting stronger – both individually and as a team. They took to bringing lunches with them, in order to increase the amount of productive time in the day. Once they were finished, which greatly varied from day to day, they would go back to Sasuke's house and relax, mostly doing their own individual things before dinner was ready, something which Lee was forced to make each night once it was discovered that he could actually cook rather well. When it came time to go to bed, Lee slept on the floor of Juugo's room and Kiba slept on the floor of Sasuke's room, an arrangement which nobody was happy about, but which Kiba claimed was part of their job.

As promised, Sasuke was given regular reports of how Naruto was doing, though the only pieces of information he was trusted with were the guesstimates of how much longer Naruto might be away for. One day, the four boys were relaxing in the living room after a particularly strenuous day of training.

"I believe that the four of us have developed an excellent friendship," Lee said, completely out of the blue.

"Friendship?" Sasuke repeated incredulously. "No. Not at all. The only one here I'd consider a friend is Juugo, and only because he's much like me in many ways. I may be able to tolerate Kiba, and be less inclined to strangle you, Lee, but there's no way in hell either of you will ever be my friends."

Lee looked very much like a kicked puppy, while Kiba shrugged nonchalantly. "I'd be offended by that statement if I didn't feel the same about you," he said simply.

Before anybody could start arguing, there was a knock at the door. Lee got up, eager to prove his usefulness, and answered the door. He returned a moment later with a note addressed to Sasuke. The Uchiha took it quickly, and all eyes were on him as he read it silently. A look of relief, then of tenderness and caring crossed Sasuke's face, before he remembered where he was and quickly hid those expressions. He looked up after a moment, and folded the note.

"Well?" Kiba said expectantly. "What did it say?"

"It's none of your business," Sasuke replied coldly. "If it was, then it would've been addressed to you as well."

Kiba scowled. "Just tell us," he demanded. "If you don't, then I'll just have to take the note from you and see for myself."

Sasuke snorted. "As if you could," he said. "Though now that I think about it, it does sort of involve you and Lee...so I suppose I'll tell you. Naruto is coming home tomorrow."

"He is?" Lee exclaimed. "When?"

"I just said," Sasuke said in irritation. "Tomorrow."

"I think he meant what time," Kiba said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Well, it didn't say, so we're skipping tomorrow's training. In fact, maybe you two could leave tonight and get it over with."

"Why?" Kiba asked. "So you can make out with your precious Naruto as much as you want, and not give any of us, his friends, a chance to see him?"

"Yeah, why?" Sasuke said simply, mostly to get a reaction from Kiba. "You got a problem with that?" Kiba didn't reply, and after a long silence, Lee got up and started on dinner.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

That night, to Sasuke's dismay, Kiba and Lee didn't leave. In fact, they stayed right up to the moment Naruto came waltzing in the front door.

"I'm home!" the blonde announced, and was immediately tackled by Lee.

"Naruto-kun!" the overly enthusiastic teen cried. "I am soooo glad to see you again! It has been forever! How have you been? Would you like to come train with us? No, of course not, what am I saying? You have just spent the last month training, you probably want to relax, right? Well, you should come in, then, and relax! I will make you some tea, and perhaps some food – are you hungry? I bet you are, you probably had a long journey. Would you like some food? I can make some for you. What would you-"

"Shut up, Lee," Kiba said, prying the other teen off of Naruto. "Give the guy some breathing room."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Kiba," he said, "I owe you one. So, what are you two doing here, anyway?"

"Keeping an eye on me while you were gone," Sasuke answered as he walked over. Naruto smiled brightly, and Kiba rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Lee," he said, dragging Lee out of the room. "Let's give the two lovebirds some privacy."

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed softly. Sasuke crossed the distance between them and took the blonde tightly in his arms, just holding him close. Naruto smiled and relaxed into the embrace, returning it happily. "I missed you," he mumbled, breathing in Sasuke's scent. The Uchiha let go, standing just close enough that they still held hands.

"It was torture here without you," Sasuke said, which Naruto understood to be the closest Sasuke would get to admitting how much he'd missed the other. Sasuke leaned in for a kiss, but Naruto pushed him away.

"Just because I'm back after a long time of being gone doesn't mean I've forgotten that you still haven't apologized," the blonde said, though it was clear he didn't want this to be true.

Sasuke sighed. "Why can't you just accept that I've pretty much apologized, just without saying the words 'I'm sorry'? You know it's true without me having to say it."

"Whether I know it or not isn't the point," Naruto said. "I want to hear you say the words."

"Look, let's not start this again, okay?" Sasuke almost pleaded. "You just got back from an entire month of training, we should be enjoying ourselves."

Naruto hesitated, then nodded, and the two boys went to sit down in the living room together, just talking about nothing in particular. Just then, someone knocked frantically on the door. Sasuke got up and opened it to find Shikamaru standing there, a panicked look on his usually calm face.

"Is Naruto-kun with you?" he asked. Sasuke blinked in surprise.

"Yes," he said kind of slowly. "Lee, Kiba, and Juugo are here somewhere too."

"Good, grab them all – and anyone else you can find on the way – and come to the main part of Konoha. Don't ask questions, just do as I say."

Sasuke nodded, and Shikamaru disappeared. At once, Naruto, Lee, Kiba, and Juugo all stood behind Sasuke.

"We heard the whole thing," Kiba said. "Let's go." The five boys raced out the door, gathering all the other shinobi they came across, and went straight for the area Shikamaru told them to. Then they stopped.

"What exactly is going on?" Lee asked, looking all around. Buildings were destroyed and smoke rose from them. Everywhere, people were laying around, covered in various injuries.

"That's what I was wondering too," Kiba said quietly. Naruto, Sasuke, and Juugo all exchanged a glance and nodded, knowing they'd drawn the same conclusion.

"That's easy," Sasuke said. "Only one person could cause this much destruction so quickly."

"How very astute of you, Sasuke-kun," said a voice from behind them. "Though, of course, it's really no surprise that you figured it out so soon."

"Who are you here for, Madara?" Sasuke asked as he and the others turned. "Is it Naruto? Or me?"

Madara chuckled. "You overestimate your worth," he said. "You're of no use to me unless you're with me of your own free will. I'm not an idiot, I know that you won't willingly help me...not any more. So, you're nothing to me now. I have no desire to take you anywhere."

"So, then, it's Naruto you're after," Sasuke surmised.

"Obviously," Madara replied. "I don't suppose you'd be a good boy and hand him over, would you?" In response, Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto to shield the blonde from the older Uchiha. Madara sighed. "Didn't think so. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way, then."

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's arm, then moved to stand beside him. "You don't have to protect me," he said. "Just because I'm his target doesn't mean I can't defend myself. Remember why I was gone for the last month?"

Sasuke frowned, but nodded. "You're right," he conceded. "Now, let's kick his ass."

Naruto grinned. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Now is a good time to use the teamwork we developed," Lee said as he, Kiba, and Juugo each stepped a little in front of Sasuke and Naruto, forming a V-shape with Naruto at its center. The rest of their friends joined them shortly, and Madara made his move.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Yes, I'm ending it there! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry it was sorta a little rushed...I wanted to spend at least a chapter on events while Naruto was gone, but I couldn't really think of anything good enough, so I didn't.**

**So yeah, despite my saying that this would likely go beyond the 20th chapter, it doesn't look like that will be the case now. This fanfic will be over in 2 chapters. Sad, isn't it? XP And no, there will most definitely not be a sequel, though if I can think of a good enough idea, I'll probably write another fic after this...but that's only if I can find a good enough idea that doesn't feel like it's stolen from someone else (or multiple other people). That's actually one of the main reasons I didn't do an AU fic this time around, is because there are so many of those out there, while there are few of these type. I figured I'd be safe enough writing something like this.**

**Okay, I'll shut up now. Please review, my lovelies! Oh, and while I've got your attention, I want to tell you about the new fanfic I just posted today. Well...by "tell you about", I mean "tell you the name of and make you go read it". XP I think you'll enjoy it, though. I certainly enjoy writing it, which is usually a good sign. It's called "The Boy Behind the Mask", and YES it's another SasuNaru, but it's also my first AU fic for this fandom (unless you count Suigetsu's birthday fanfic chapter...which I don't really.) So yeah, go read that (the first chapter, anyway) once you've reviewed!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for the wait, lovelies. I hate battle scenes...ugh. I just hope that I did better with this battle than it feels like I did. On a brighter note; this fanfic has now officially (at the end of this chapter) passed page 300 of writing! Yay! I decided to make this the final chapter, though there'll be an epilogue afterwards. See, the part that I was originally planning on ending this chapter happened too soon (because I ran out of ideas to stall with) and so I had to incorporate some of what I was going to put in next chapter, just so that this wouldn't be too short, and now the next chapter will end up being too short to call a chapter, so I'm just going to call it the epilogue. **

**Here goes everything! Oh, and you get a cookie if you notice the subtle Naruto Abridged reference! It's very subtle, but references one of the main recurring jokes in the series. Damn, why am I giving hints? I'm an idiot...ah well. There's also a slight, almost spoiler at the end...not much of one, but still.**

**Chapter 19**

Madara ran straight down the middle of the formation, heading for Naruto right off the bat. He was momentarily stopped by Neji's attack, but grabbed the Hyuuga's arm and flung him aside as though he were nothing but a doll.

"Neji!" Tenten exclaimed, then she unfurled her scroll and summoned the plethora of weapons from it, aiming every last one of them at Madara. Unfortunately for her, the Uchiha moved at the last second, dodging her attack.

"Pesky little insects," Madara said to the shinobi. "None of you are even worth my time."

"If you want insects," Shino said, sending his kikaichuu out as he spoke, "then I'd be glad to oblige you." The insects swarmed Madara and latched onto him, sucking away his chakra as he continued to try and power through it. Suddenly, Madara disappeared and was replaced by a log. The insects barely missed a beat before finding the real Madara again. As Madara focused on trying to evade the insects, Sakura ran up with her fist drawn back, ready to punch him. Madara flickered out of the way before Sakura's fist could connect, and the pink haired kunoichi nearly hit Shikamaru instead. Thankfully, however, she managed to stop herself in time.

Right as Madara reappeared, Neji was in front of him yet again, and yet again Madara flung him aside.

"That is it!" Lee exclaimed, breaking out of the formation. He zipped over faster than any normal eye could follow, and aimed a high side kick at Madara's chest. "Nobody picks on my friends like that and gets away with it!" Of course, Madara's Sharingan had followed Lee's movements, and so he blocked the attack with ease. He also blocked Sakura's second attempt at hitting him, then grabbed Lee's ankle and Sakura's wrist and flung the both of them aside. He continued down the middle of the line.

"Shadow Strangle Jutsu!" Shikamaru called out, and watched as the shadowy arms made their way to Madara. At the same time, Tenten ran forward with a kunai, forcing Madara back so he'd be within range of Shikamaru's jutsu. To everyone's surprise, it worked. They all watched the shadowy arms climb up Madara's body, heading for his throat. However, they let their guard down, assuming the jutsu would finish Madara off.

Madara broke free of Shikamaru's jutsu easily, and made it over to where Naruto stood. Sasuke drew his sword and covered it with Chidori, then stabbed Madara in the side. To his surprise, the attack hit. Sasuke frowned. _That shouldn't have worked,_ he thought to himself, then his frown deepened when he saw Juugo's attack hit as well.

"Guys, stop attacking!" he called out. The others looked up in surprise. "Something's not right, this is too easy. That's not really Madara. It can't be."

"Then who are we fighting?" Lee asked, confused.

"I don't know," Sasuke replied, "but Madara's somewhere else."

"Then we should look for him instead of wasting our time here," Kiba said matter-of-factly.

"Half of us should stay," Naruto said. "Even if this guy isn't the real Madara, he's still a threat to Konoha, which means he needs to be stopped."

"Alright, so who goes and who stays?" Shino asked.

"Naruto-kun and Sasuke should go for sure," Shikamaru replied. "You two are probably two of the strongest shinobi we've got, and besides that, Sasuke, you know more about Madara's abilities than the rest of us."

"Is it really wise to send Naruto if he's the one Madara is after?" Neji pointed out.

"I was just away for a month training for the moment the Akatsuki would come for me," Naruto informed them all. "I'll be fine."

"If Sasuke-kun is going, then so am I," Juugo announced. Shikamaru nodded.

"Good idea. Lee and Kiba, you should go as well."

"And the rest of us?" Ino inquired.

"Neji should go with the others, but that's it," Shikamaru replied. "Numbers are important when fighting a tough opponent, but it's better to have a small amount of powerful fighters who won't get in each other's way, as opposed to lots of less powerful fighters who may interfere with another's attacks. Besides, we don't know how many more people they'll be sending in to distract us, so it's best to have more shinobi here in preparation."

Everybody nodded, and those who Shikamaru said should go raced off in a different direction. "Wait a sec," Naruto said, and they stopped and looked at the blonde, who closed his eyes. A few moments later, Naruto opened his eyes again, now in Sage Mode. "Found him," he said, then took off. His companions had to run faster than they were used to in order to keep up.

"Whoa, wait, what was that?" Kiba demanded once he and Akamaru reached Naruto's side.

"I can sense everyone's chakra in Sage Mode," Naruto replied without looking at his friend, "and because I've fought Madara like this before, it was a lot quicker to locate him than it normally would be."

"Sage Mode sounds awesome," Kiba commented, and Naruto grinned.

"That's because it is," he said simply.

"Kinda makes me wanna learn it," Kiba continued.

"I don't know if you'd be able to," Naruto admitted. "I mean, I know you're really strong and all, and you'd probably be able to do the senjutsu training, but I don't think the toads would let you-"

"That part doesn't matter," Kiba interrupted. "It's not the toad stuff I want to learn, just Sage Mode itself."

"Tell you what," Naruto said, "after we're done this battle, I'll try to teach you."

Kiba grinned. "Sounds great."

They continued on in silence for a while, until finally they found Madara – the real Madara this time. Naruto's eyes narrowed, and all that he had learned of his parents' deaths and the circumstances surrounding his birth, all of that now came to the front of his mind. He growled.

"You bastard," he said to Madara.

"I take it you know everything now," the ancient Uchiha remarked casually, as one might comment on the weather. Naruto growled in response.

"You're such a...a..." He struggled for a moment to find the right adjective, then shook his head. "There's no word bad enough to describe you."

Madara chuckled. "I'm flattered, really. So what are you going to do about it? Avenge your beloved parents whom you only got to see briefly?"

Naruto gave a little snort. "As if. Revenge isn't my style. And besides, from what I did get to see of them, I know they wouldn't be all too happy with me if I stooped to that level. No, I'm simply going to make sure you can never do anything like that again. As the son of Yondaime Hokage, I swear I'll kill you."

The others all stared at Naruto in surprise as he said the bit about Yondaime being his father, though that was all the reaction they could give considering the circumstances. "Pretty words," Madara said, "but can you back them up?"

Naruto smirked. "Try me," he replied. In a flash, he called up two Shadow Clones and prepared a Rasen-Shuriken. He threw it, and while Madara was busy dodging, Naruto had three more clones appear behind the Uchiha, and they threw a second Rasen-Shuriken at him. Madara just barely managed to dodge the second one.

"I'll admit you're better than I thought you'd be," he said, impressed, "though it's going to take a lot more than that to take me down." He started fighting back, and Naruto's Sage Mode disappeared as he tried to fend Madara off. Immediately, his friends were by his side, helping out. Sasuke stabbed at Madara with his sword, which he'd covered in lightning again, forcing the older Uchiha to dodge out of the way.

"Naruto, we'll keep him away," Sasuke told the blonde. "You focus on getting back into Sage Mode. As much as I hate to admit it, that's probably the best shot we have at beating him."

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment, then nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating. He heard Sasuke and the others fighting Madara, felt their chakra around him, but didn't see them. When he was ready, he reopened his eyes and tried to evaluate the battle and figure out exactly what he should do. He was surprised to see Sasuke, Juugo, Kiba, and Lee working so well together. _A lot must've happened while I was gone,_ he thought.

Lee was a flurry of movement, punching and kicking at Madara several times a second. Madara kept dodging, though he was pushed ever backwards, towards where Juugo was standing with the upper half of his body transformed into Second State. Lee continued pushing Madara back, and when the Uchiha was close enough, Juugo drew back an arm and punched him, sending him flying into Lee, who kicked with such force that Madara flew up into the air. At that moment, Kiba and Akamaru attacked form above, knocking Madara down to the ground. Sasuke then went over with a Chidori in his hand. Just as he was about to plunge it into Madara's chest, the older Uchiha rolled out of the way.

"Impressive teamwork," he acknowledged. "It might've worked on someone less powerful than me." As Madara said this, Naruto sent a Rasen-Shuriken at him. It actually hit. Everyone stared in surprise.

"...That was unexpected," Kiba said simply. The jutsu disappeared, and they watched as Madara fell to the ground. A few seconds later, there was a poof, and Madara was replaced by a log.

"Dammit!" Sasuke exclaimed. "I almost thought we had him that time."

"And you almost did," Madara said, standing behind them. They all turned, glaring.

"Stop dodging everything, you bastard!" Naruto demanded.

"What, and let you kill me?" Madara asked. "Not going to happen. Now, why don't you be a good little Jinchuuriki and come with me, that way you might be able to save your friends and your precious village."

Naruto growled. "As if I'd go anywhere with the likes of you," he said.

Madara sighed. "And here I thought we could be diplomatic about the whole thing," he said with mock regret in his voice. "Oh well. Back to fighting, then." He came at Naruto so fast that the blonde barely had time to react. However, just before Madara hit Naruto, someone else appeared in between them and hit Madara with incredible force. Naruto blinked in surprise at the person.

"What are you doing here, Sakura-chan?" he asked her. She didn't turn her head to look at him.

"Saving your ass," she replied. "What's it look like I'm doing?"

"What about that other guy? I thought you and everyone else were taking care of him."

Sakura laughed. "He was easy to beat. We got him not too long after you guys left, then Shikamaru sent a bunch of us off to find you and offer our help." Now she turned slightly to look. "It looks like I got here just in time."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, thanks. I owe you one." His grin faded. "But you should go now. I don't want you getting hurt."

"You know full well I can take care of myself," Sakura said, "so don't give me that crap."

Naruto hesitated. "Fine, you can stay, but-"

"Naruto-kun, behind you!" Lee called out. Naruto turned just in time to see Madara coming straight at him. He prepared a Rasengan with one hand and stealthily grabbed a kunai with his other, but Madara disappeared at the last second. Sakura screamed. Naruto whirled around.

"Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed. Madara was seconds away from getting her. In a flash, Naruto was in the way, hitting Madara with both the Rasengan and kunai simultaneously. Sakura was trembling behind Naruto as the blonde pulled his kunai out of Madara's chest. The ancient Uchiha fell. Naruto turned his head slowly to look at Sakura, and the pink-haired kunoichi could see blood trickling from his mouth. He didn't seem worried, though, because he smiled. "Safe..." he whispered breathlessly. "You're safe..." He stumbled backwards into Sakura's arms, and she caught him and gently laid him down. That was when she saw the sword sticking out of his chest.

Sasuke, Juugo, Kiba, Lee, and Neji all came running over, and Sasuke's eyes widened ever so slightly. "So that's where my sword went," he noted. "Madara must have taken it without me realizing. Well, go on, Sakura, heal him up and we'll go back to everyone else and tell them the good news, that Naruto killed Madara."

Sakura looked up. "Sasuke-kun..." she began, then swallowed deeply and took a huge breath. "The sword went straight through his heart."

"So?" Sasuke snapped. "He's still alive right now, isn't he?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then heal him! It shouldn't be that difficult to figure out!"

Sakura bit her lip, trying not to cry. "It doesn't work like that, Sasuke-kun. He's only alive right now because the sword is holding everything in place. If I pull it out, he'll die instantly because it'll do more damage coming out than it did going in, and I can't heal him properly with it still in there." She trembled a bit and looked down, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're lying," Sasuke said, sounding so sure of himself. He knelt down beside Naruto. "There's gotta be something you can do, you're the Hokage's student for fuck's sake!" Sakura looked up, tears in her large green eyes.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." she whispered. "D-don't do this..."

"Heal him, goddammit!" Sasuke demanded. "Just do it already!"

"...suke..." Naruto whispered. All eyes went to him. He opened his eyes just a fraction, enough so that a hint of blue could be seen through his lashes. "...s'okay..."

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke said fondly. "Now's not the time to talk. Of course it's okay, you'll be fine. Just as soon as Sakura gets it through her thick head that she can heal you."

Sakura bit her lip again. "M-maybe..." she began, "m-maybe if I s-start healing him, then you pull the s-sword out when I tell you to. Maybe that could work."

Sasuke nodded. "Then that's what we'll do," he said, an odd strangled tone to his voice. Sakura pulled off her gloves and placed her hands over Naruto's chest. Sasuke gently grabbed the hilt of the sword, getting ready. After a while, Sakura took a deep breath and nodded, and Sasuke pulled the sword out in one swift motion. Naruto spasmed briefly, and Sakura's eyes widened.

"No!" she cried out, staring up at Sasuke. "You were supposed to pull slowly, so it would give me a chance to heal the damage bit by bit! I can't do anything now!"

"Well, you didn't tell me that!" Sasuke yelled, then looked down at Naruto. He dropped the sword on the ground and took one of Naruto's hands in both of his. "You listen to me, dobe, you'd damn well better not die on me. Don't go, stay here. Don't you dare leave me!"

Naruto's eyelids fluttered closed, then opened partially again. "...suke...I l...ove y-" he said, looking right at Sasuke, then he sucked in a sharp breath and his body went limp.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_Don't you dare leave me!"_

Sasuke's voice penetrated the walls of the large cavern of Naruto's inner world, where the blonde lay facedown in the water. Behind him, the Kyuubi was in a frenzy.

"Snap out of it!" he roared. "If you die, I die, and I refuse to let that happen!"

Naruto rolled over with great effort and sat up. "It's better than you being in the hands of the Akatsuki," he pointed out.

"No," the Kyuubi argued, "because at least then I wouldn't be dead! Get up! Don't let something like a sword through your heart kill you!"

"It's not a matter of letting it happen," Naruto said. "It already happened, and I can't do anything about that. Besides, I did what I meant to do. I killed Madara. Now Konoha will be safe."

"But you don't know that for sure," the Kyuubi said. "Live a little longer, then you can see if your precious village really is safe."

"I'm not going to listen to you anymore," Naruto said. "What's done is done, and there's no use wishing it were otherwise." _Though I wanted to spend more time with Sasuke,_ he thought. _And it would've been nice if he'd said he loves me, even once. Oh well. The only thing now is to remind him that I love him. Maybe he'll say it back finally._

"_...suke...I l...ove y-"_ Naruto began, then cursed internally when he couldn't say more. There was a long, slow flash of white light, and Naruto was standing outside a nice looking house. He walked inside, staring around him in awe.

"Welcome home, Naruto." Naruto spun to see his parents sitting at a table, smiling at him. He walked over, and Kushina stood to embrace him.

"You did great," she whispered into his ear. Minato came and joined the hug.

"We're so proud of you, son," he said.

"Even though I didn't become Hokage?" Naruto asked, and Minato chuckled.

"You may not have been given the title of Hokage," he said, "but you did everything a true Hokage would've done. You gave your life for the protection of the village, and you managed to take down the enemy before you went. That's more than I can say for myself."

"Besides," Kushina added, "you wouldn't have been very happy being Hokage anyway. You don't have enough patience for it, and I'm sorry for that, since it's definitely my fault."

"There's a lot of paperwork involved," Minato said with a wink. "Trust me, I know."

Naruto smiled. "Maybe this whole dying thing isn't so bad," he said. "I mean, I get to spend time with you two now."

His parents smiled. "Yep," Kushina agreed. "And we've got all the time in the world."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**There you have it, folks...please don't flay me alive...I was originally planning on ending the chapter right where Naruto dies and then have the whole next chapter be reactions, but as you can see, there wouldn't have been enough to call it a proper chapter, so I continued a bit. Now, before you all start getting mad, I've actually been planning this for a while, since probably the time that Naruto and the others got Sasuke back the first time around. That was chapter 5 and 6. Yeah, I've known for a long time...XP I just didn't work out the details until recently.**

**So, did anybody catch the Naruto Abridged reference? If not, don't worry, I'll tell you all what it was at the beginning of next chapter, which will be a little less than half the normal chapter length. I have it all written, it just needs to be typed. I figure I can get it posted by tomorrow for you, so there's not a hugely long wait. Or maybe I SHOULD make you wait...-evil smirk- Nah, I'm already being evil enough with this chapter and the next, I may as well post as soon as possible.**

**Please review and tell me you still love me, despite my evilness! XP **


	20. Epilogue

**Yes, I know, I'm evil. I'm sorry I ruined your day more, And here comes the chocobunny, but that's just how I am. I enjoy torturing the characters I write for, and the way I gauge a successful story is by how many times I can make myself cry – either by laughing or by actually crying. But at least take comfort in the fact that you correctly guessed the Naruto Abridged reference!**

**The reference from last chapter was when Madara was replaced by a log when they all thought that Naruto's Rasen-Shuriken had gotten him, and Sasuke said "Dammit!". Yes, quite subtle compared to others I could have put in...that sorta just wrote itself, though. I didn't even realize it until I was typing it up, and I went "Oh hey, that's kinda a Naruto Abridged thing! Tee hee!"**

**So anyway, here is the epilogue. I must say, I'm kind of disappointed in it, but maybe that's because I feel I could've written something better. Ah well. I'm too lazy to go back and rewrite it, though I may add something extra to the end. One more thing: for those who don't know or just don't remember, "Sandaime Hokage" is the Third Hokage. Yes, that is relevant, as he's referenced in this. Well, here goes!**

**Epilogue**

"Has anyone seen Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked. It was the next night, and all of Naruto's friends were gathering for his funeral.

"He hasn't come out of his room since yesterday afternoon," Juugo replied. Sakura looked down at her feet, trembling and trying to hold herself together with her arms.

"It's all my fault," she half-whispered. "Sasuke-kun was right, it's my fault Naruto's gone. If I hadn't shown up...if I hadn't distracted him...if I hadn't been in his way..." She started to sob, and Lee wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It was a mark of how upset she was that she didn't push him away.

"You went looking for them because I told you to," Shikamaru said. "It's as much my fault as it is yours."

"Look, we could stand here for hours playing the blame game, or we could grab Sasuke and go to the funeral," Kiba said. "I don't know about you guys, but I like the second option better."

"What do we do if Sasuke-kun doesn't want to come along?" Lee asked, still holding Sakura.

"He's already beating himself up over letting Naruto-kun die," Juugo said quietly, "he'd never forgive himself if he missed the funeral. I'm sure he'll come."

"Juugo, why don't you go get him?" Shikamaru suggested. "I'm willing to bet you'll have a better chance of not getting ignored than the rest of us would."

Juugo nodded. "I'll be back," he said, then headed back towards Sasuke's house.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke was a mess. He lay on his bed, flat on his back and staring at the ceiling. Tears, both new and old, covered his face as he lay there, blaming himself. _I should've realized that the sword would have to __be pulled out slowly,_ he berated himself silently. _Of all the people who did something to contribute to his death, I was the worst, I did the most. _There was a knock on the door. Sasuke didn't answer.

"Sasuke-kun?" Juugo's voice called hesitantly. "May I come in?" Once again, Sasuke remained silent, so Juugo took that as a yes and walked in. He went right to Sasuke's bed and sat down on the edge of it. Both of them were silent for a while. "Are you coming?" Juugo asked finally.

"No," Sasuke replied, sounding just as broken as he looked. "Why bother? He's gone, and nothing's going to change that. Nothing can make it better."

"It would mean a lot to Naruto-kun if you were there," Juugo pointed out. Sasuke turned his head to look at the older teen.

"He probably doesn't care. I'm sure he's found his parents by now, and they'll be catching up, having a good time." Sasuke paused. "Juugo? What do you think will happen to us?"

Juugo didn't have to ask for clarification to know Sasuke was referring to whether the two of them would be allowed to live now that Naruto was no longer there to keep an eye on them. "I'd assume that somebody else will be called in to make sure we stay out of trouble, just like when Naruto-kun went away."

"I'm not so sure about that," Sasuke said quietly. "I think the only reason that happened was because they knew the dobe would be pissed if he came home and found us not here. But now...He was the only thing keeping us alive. They've got no reason not to kill us anymore."

"Sasuke-kun...are you really okay with that? You're trying to pretend you are, but does it really not bother you that we may be killed?"

Sasuke gave a humourless laugh. "There's nothing left for me here, Juugo. I don't even want to destroy Konoha anymore. I'd rather die, to be completely honest, and after everything I've done, I deserve it. Besides, I might get to see him again."

Juugo was silent again. "You haven't said Naruto-kun's name since he died," he said after a while. "I understand that you're upset, and you have every right to be, but-"

"Do you really understand, though?" Sasuke asked, his tone indicating that he didn't think this was true. "How can you? I screwed up so badly, wasting the time we had together, making it so we couldn't truly be together, all because I wouldn't swallow my damn pride and apologize to him." Fresh tears made their way down his cheeks, but he didn't care. "I never even told him...that I love him. He said it so many times to me, but could I say it back? No. Even though it's completely true."

Juugo was at a loss for words, then he sighed. "If you want to stay here and wallow in self-pity, then be my guest. But I still think you should come to Naruto-kun's funeral. It would be a good opportunity to tell him how you feel."

Sasuke shook his head in response, and Juugo sighed again before leaving. He returned to the group of Naruto's friends, who looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" Shikamaru prompted, and Juugo shook his head.

"I can't convince him to come. He'd rather mope in his room, because he figures there's no point in attending the funeral."

"Idiot," Kiba muttered. "Well, let's get going, then. We don't want to be late."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto's funeral was a large affair. The entire village showed up to pay their respects to their hero.

"Kinda reminds you of when Sandaime Hokage died, doesn't it?" Kiba remarked. "All these people..."

"Don't say things like that," Sakura said softly. "Besides, there's one big difference. At that funeral, both Naruto and Sasuke-kun were standing with us." Nobody said anything after that.

The very next day, Sasuke and Juugo were called to the Hokage's office. Tsunade sat in silence for a while before taking a deep breath. "I know it's not fair of me to do this so soon after the both of you lost a good friend, but it needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. I'm sure you're well aware of what I'm talking about."

"Just get to the point," Sasuke said. "How are you going to have us killed, when will it happen, and how long will it take?"

Tsunade hesitated. "There are many ways we could have you killed, each of them more inhumane than the last, however...since Naruto thought so highly of you, Sasuke, I have prepared a special pill for each of you. It should kill you instantly, and there shouldn't be too much pain or suffering. Of course, this is all purely hypothetical, as you two will be the first to test this pill."

"I don't care whether it's painless," Sasuke said in a monotone voice. "In fact, I think I'd almost rather it be painful. It's what I deserve."

"Well, as for the question of when it will happen," Tsunade continued, "That's sort of up to you. You can take the pills any time between now and this time tomorrow."

Sasuke held out his hand. "Give me the pill, I'll take it now."

Tsunade didn't question his eagerness, just handed the pill over as requested. Sasuke ate it, and seconds later he lay on the floor, no longer breathing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto was pacing the room, waiting impatiently. There was a flash of light, and suddenly Sasuke was standing there in front of him. Naruto waited while Sasuke looked around, getting his bearings. Then the Uchiha saw who else was there. His eyes widened, then narrowed.

"You idiot!" he exclaimed. "Didn't I tell you not to leave me? I was practically begging you!"

Naruto blinked in surprise. This was not what he'd been expecting. "I...Sasuke, there was nothing I could do," he replied. Then he narrowed his eyes as well. "And why weren't you there with the others at my funeral? I watched the whole thing, and I was looking for you, but you weren't there!"

"Don't change the subject!" Sasuke snapped. "Do you have any idea what it was like, knowing you were gone and that it was my fault?"

Naruto faltered. "It wasn't your fault," he said. "The only person at fault was Madara." He paused. "Did I actually manage to kill him?"

Sasuke nodded, then smiled in spite of himself. He gave a watery chuckle, and to his surprise, he was crying. Naruto was surprised as well, but pulled the Uchiha into his arms and held him close. Sasuke held onto Naruto, fighting to control himself. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "I'm sorry that all this happened. But there's nothing we can do about it now...we have to face the fact that we're both dead."

Sasuke took a deep breath and pulled away from the embrace. He looked straight at Naruto. A million different thoughts were racing through his head, but the one that actually made it to lips was, "I love you, Naruto."

Naruto smiled widely and kissed Sasuke with as much passion as he could muster, holding him as close as possible. He pulled away after a few minutes. "That's what I've been waiting to hear," he said softly, still smiling.

"And..." Sasuke hesitated. "I'm sorry about-" Naruto cut him off with another kiss.

"None of that matters any more," he said simply. "I always knew you didn't mean it, once I'd calmed down enough, that is. The only reason I wanted you to say it was because I'm stubborn like that." Naruto's expression changed in an instant to a mischievous one.

"What's that look for?" Sasuke asked warily.

"Well..." Naruto began. "If we're together again now, then I think it's about time you met my parents."

**End**

**Apparently, my mind just won't let me write a sad, depressing ending. It's got no problem with putting incredibly sad things into my fanfics, but ending time? Nope, gotta leave it on a happy note. Ah well...I hope you guys consider that better than I did. I thought it was a very weak ending, but let me know your thoughts. **


End file.
